Summary

Web services open a new possibility for integration and development of next generation Web applications. Web services do not suggest any development paradigm nor introduce a new programming language. Web services leverage on top of highly scalable and industry proven server-side technologies like J2EE, .NET, and CORBA. Web services provide the basis for flexible and scalable service-oriented architecture. With Web services, building B2B and business process automation solutions are easier and less expensive than traditional approaches. Web services simplify the task of integration by leveraging on flexibility of XML and its maturing stack of tools and technologies. Making XML as the standard format for messaging between distributed components not only fills the gap left by the EAI technology, but it removes interoperability and portability issues.

We believe that Web services will soon become the backbone for building small to very complex distributed and transactional business systems. Currently there are large numbers of vendors providing tools and technologies that automate Web services development and deployment. Web service development and deployment processes are mainly influenced by the existence of mature server-side technologies (J2EE, .NET, and CORBA). To adopt Web services, organization-specific development methodology should be applied. Due to service-centric nature of Web service, there is a need for Web service assembler tools using which a total business solution can be packaged and deployed from existing services.