The potential power of web services can be displayed in a number of different ways. Web services are being used to integrate all sorts of data- from local programs interfacing with each other across a local area network, to large enterprise-level applications communicating across the Internet. A few examples of how web services can be utilized are listed below:
- A utility pole is damaged in a remote area of Massachusetts, and a utility company has to come in and replace it. However, in order to do this, the cable, telephone, and electric utility companies have to act in a certain order in order for the damaged pole to be removed. Web services can be used to determine the status of the actions taken by the individual companies, since the order of the actions is based on which utility owns the pole.
- A company wants to measure how much a particular product it has sold, which customers bought how much of the product, when the next shipment of the product will be coming into the warehouse, and how much profit was generated by the sales. A web service can be used to connect the inventory management, customer ordering, warehouse management, and accounting management systems, and all of the information can be obtained in one step. When an order is placed, the order will be not only entered into the customer ordering system, but also into the inventory system, the accounting management system, and the warehouse management system to reflect the customer’s purchase.
- A woman want to access information about albums by her favorite artists, so that she can make compilation CD’s. She uses a CD-playing and MP3-ripping software program to search CDDB, an online database of song-title information for compact discs. The program uses a web service to query CDDB over the Internet, and get results about the selected CD’s back.
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Dialog, a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, has created a web service that enables Dialog's extensive content collection and renowned search engine to be integrated transparently into Web sites, enterprise portals, corporate intranets and extranets, software applications and other interactive services. It is an Application Programming Interface (API) that is designed for web developers and software programmers (among others) integrate pieces of premium content with Dialog’s search engine, which allows users to identify specific documents they need within the content sets.
With web services on the loose, the information services industry will not be the same- particularly in software. As it stands, the software industry main basis of competition is compatibility with certain platforms. Often, users run into the problem of files and applications not running properly due to compatibility problems. Data that is stored in a Microsoft Access database, for example, must go through conversion in order to be stored in a Microsoft SQL Server. When a company wanted to enter in information about its suppliers and how much product is purchased from them, it would have to consult, its supplier management system and its inventory management separately.
Web services will allow for data to be shared across platforms and languages. Programs will not have to know another program with which it is trying to communicate works. It will have a great effect in particular on the software industry, as it will diminish the effect of competition between companies based on language and platform. As Barbara Angius Saxby of Accelent Marketing so eloquently states, “By exposing components of applications as Web Services, and enabling consumers to invoke these components, businesses can strengthen their ability to integrate enterprise applications and interact with current and potential customers and partners.” In other words, web services allow the bounds on software integration to be greatly expanded. It is now a great selling point for companies, particularly those that develop software. And at first, those companies that develop web services will benefit, but the success will eventually give way to those businesses that leverage web services in the most useful manner.
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Brown, Bob, in an interview with Zimon, Gene (CIO and senior vice-president of Nstar energy company), Utility IT Exec To Explore Power of Web Services, Network World, December 2, 2002
McAllister, Neil, Service Economy: Will Web Services Be the Savior of the Industry? New Artchitect, April 18, 2002
Microsoft Corporation, What Are Web Services?, May 15, 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics/webservices.asp
Saxby, Barbara Angius, Web Services: A Floor Wax or Dessert Topping?, March 7, 2002
Sholler, Daniel, META Report: What Are Web Services, Anyway?, Datamation, January 16, 2002