Key Insights

• Most early adopters are using SOAP protocol to pass XML data between cooperating applications.

• Few early adopters are using UDDI (either to create private registries or to publish applications in public registries).

Giving generic examples, the previous chapter illustrated how Web services could be used to help businesses cut development costs, reduce time-to-market, create/overcome competitive pressure, use repackaging methods to better reach and serve new customers, and create new revenue streams from existing intellectual property. The idea of using Web services to create a personal (but programmatic) valet service for individuals was also introduced. Additionally, in each case, one or more shortcomings of Web services architecture were highlighted just to make sure that readers understood the difference between what is possible and what is practical with the current state of the art.

This chapter mirrors the previous chapter in terms of organization, but with one big exception: this chapter uses real-world examples to show how Web services are being designed and deployed. Included are examples that illustrate how enterprises are using Web services to create new revenue opportunities, or to reduce development time and costs, or for several other purposes. An example of Microsoft's .NET My Services offerings illustrates how Web services can deliver personalized services in the real world.

Note that .NET My Services is currently being re-evaluated by Microsoft, but the existing services are good examples of personalized services.

The previous chapter covered nine examples of how Web services could be used to affect business strategy as well as how they could be used on a personalized basis. This chapter uses only seven of the nine examples. Examples of how enterprises are using Web services to rapidly expand their applications portfolios and examples of how enterprises are using Web services to create/overcome competitive pressure were not found in the course of this author's research. The likely explanation is that, at this juncture, most Web services solutions are "point product" singular solutions not far-reaching redevelopment and redeployment of large enterprise application portfolios on a wide scale. (In other words, early adopters are still familiarizing themselves with Web services; they have not yet moved to a broad-based rearchitecting of their portfolios.)

Still, in this chapter you will find that many innovative early adopters are creating new growth opportunities for their enterprises and creating new business models using Web services.

(Note: Pay particular attention to how Web services can be used to create a new business model.)