Flexibility, Finances Keys to Web Services Adoption

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September 20, 2004 (Computerworld) -- Web services are one of IT's most promising advances, but they have yet to enjoy their predicted widespread adoption. What's the holdup?
Some say Web services lack the mature, robust standards and security needed to support higher adoption rates. But standards and security play a small role in the delay, if any at all. Current standards are sufficient to do most of the Web services work anybody wants to do. The security is adequate, too. You can implement encryption, authentication, authorization and other security services today.
Even the knock against Web services performance is off base. While I wouldn't want to develop an online transaction processing application using Web services, the performance is more than sufficient when flexible, any-to-any application integration is critical. Besides, Web services performance, along with standards and security, will continue to improve, making these factors even less of a concern in the future.
The real challenge for Web services is the broader IT and corporate environment in which they operate. Every time an IT shop works with Web services, they most likely have to be associated with a funded project. The money must already be committed, or the project proposal must be a compelling, revenue-generating effort. Cost containment alone -- a big Web services benefit -- doesn't have the force to close a deal. There's so much pressure on IT that shops are doing very few projects that are focused on reducing costs. Even when the money is in place and the project will generate revenue, not all projects are appropriate for Web services. But projects with a business-to-business flavor are ideal.
Web services adoption is limited by how many new projects companies are funding, and these days, they're not funding that much. One of the areas where they are spending money is in business partner relations, to increase their top line or solidify their position in the market. Companies are nervous about competition, and as a result, they think they have to do a better job with their business partners. That becomes the pressing incentive. They must have a driving business purpose, feel some top-line pressure or believe that they will lose market share because they don't have strong relationships with their business partners.

Sabre is a perfect example. It used Web services to give business partners flexible, direct access to its air, car and hotel booking and other travel services. By replacing custom application programming interfaces with Web services, Sabre was able to forge stronger ties with partners and business-to-business customers by simplifying the technical demands placed on working with and buying from them. Today, business partners can tap Sabre travel services without knowing

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