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Clear 10 Hurdles to Web Services Success
Will Web services really change the world by leaps and bounds? Learn which 10 things need to occur for them to succeed.
by Nick Evans
The software industry has promoted heavily the promise of Web services—but something needs to happen over the next several years for them to make a real impact on both the technology landscape and the business community. In this article, I'll examine 10 changes that need to occur for Web services to make a difference. If the technology and the business case can clear these hurdles, Web services stand to live up to their own hype. If not, they might end up in a graveyard for would-be technologies that promised to change the world at one time.
Web services will likely gain adoption, but the fundamental question relates to the extent of their impact: Will they reshape technology processes, business processes, or even entire industries? What key events need to occur on both the supply side and the demand side to aid the business case for Web services? These 10 items help illuminate some of the hurdles Web services face, but it's up to natural evolution to determine their eventual success or failure.
#1 Educate the Marketplace
Educating the marketplace on what Web services are, what they can do, and when and how it makes sense to use them is the first step toward making them successful. This widespread education must occur on two basic levels—at the technical level and the business level. Through technical education, developers ensure they know the best practices for implementing Web services and exploiting their benefits effectively. As with any technology that requires a paradigm shift in the developer's mindset, Web services' many benefits might fade away if they are misunderstood or implemented improperly. At the business level, education should focus on when and where to apply the technology and how to create new business models or improve existing ones. It should hone in on the practical business benefits that impact employees, customers, or suppliers.
Communication also needs to reach another level. It's important to be sensitive to both the supply and the demand sides of the equation. Currently, a language gap exists between vendors promoting the technical features of their products and services and corporations looking for business value. Vendors must better articulate the business benefits of their technologies to bridge this gap. For instance, if vendors can back up their products' claims using real case studies and metrics, they drive home their points and provide industry-relevant details. This is where business advisors and systems integrators play an important role—they help bridge the gap between business and technology.
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