Democratization of XML Web service registries

Computerworld - One year ago, Capient articulated the manner in which easily accessible registry networks will be key to the rise and long-term success of XML Web services. As XML Web service capabilities continue to be deployed by organizations, the need for registries to identify, organize and catalog service capabilities will increasingly play vital roles across business developer communities. A variety of registries currently exist, ranging from the public consortium-led Universal Description, Discovery and Integration network to stand-alone, prepackaged and vendor-managed UDDI specification-compliant registries and hybrid non-UDDI-compliant registries following public and/or proprietary specification formats.
Organizational demands are on the increase to make XML Web service capabilities available as widely, reliably and cost-effectively as possible to maximize return on investment. The key driver influencing decisions by potential business-integration customers will ultimately revolve around visibility and ease of accessibility to registries with the greatest number of useful XML Web service capabilities. Other decision influencers include XML Web service standards conformity and interoperability across the broadest range of computing environments and trust perceptions of the registry being utilized to federate XML Web service information.
The very nature of our geopolitical business community has precluded any single organization from unilaterally controlling this important piece of the XML Web services ecosystem. It's still an unknown how XML Web service capabilities and publication registries will evolve, mature and ultimately reach critical mass. However, there are a few possible long-term outcomes based on current market momentum and availability of XML Web service capabilities, traction of incumbent registries and registry models being introduced by third-party vendors:
A variety of successful private registries will coexist, adhering to broadly standardized sets of public protocols and specifications. The top differentiators from a customer point of view will be trust perceptions of the vendor providing or managing a registry and the accessibility, quality and quantity of XML Web service capabilities available. Direct registry integration into popular application development environments will be the primary success benchmark for registry vendors when it comes to channeling new customers.
One or more free or fee-based, consortium-managed public registries will take the lead as the most popular environment to find and publish XML Web service capabilities. The success of public registries will be determined by the ability of consortium groups to consistently improve registry robustness, third-party integration and trust concerns of published XML Web service capabilities across these typically open and freely accessible network environments.
A combination of successful public and private registries will coexist as options for developers across a variety of application development environments and computing platforms,differentiated by registry integration and reputation, as well as accessibility, quality and quantity of XML Web service capabilities available.
The near-term period ahead is the most crucial time for organizations shaping and influencing the information technology industry. The responsibility for driving new conditions, opportunities and challenges of tomorrow's IT environment ultimately rest with today's vendors and their determination to drive deeper relationships, interoperability and common standards among themselves. The XML Web services registry is one evolving piece that will serve as a foundation for driving renewed excitement for integrated development across organizational boundaries.
Richard Stevens is an analyst at Capient Inc. who specializes in the Web services industry.