Speech Summaries

Frank E. Gillett Vice President Forrester Research, Inc.

Which Web Services Vendors?

Frank E. Gillett, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research, talked about three key questions: What is the Web services architecture; which vendors provide which Web services products; and how do firms choose Web services vendors?

Frank took the audience through the development of Web services. He explained that Web services will be built on existing infrastructure, like legacy and packaged apps, app servers, and integration servers. These will be connected via the Internet to app servers with Web services that build, integrate, and network with enterprise apps.

Frank illustrated the three categories of Web services products, and described which vendors fit into each. The first category of Web services vendors build, run, manage, and communicate. The second group consists of integration products that allow for subscription and distribution. The third group of vendors consists of Web services network providers that deal with logistics and provide guaranteed deliveries.

When choosing a Web services vendor, Frank believes that you have to examine your vendor risk tolerance and your company's technology philosophy: For example, are you an early adopter, a fast follower, or a slow follower? There are several unproven, innovative Web services products with lower price points, great technology, and high risk that will appeal to early adopters. More established vendors that aren't the biggest players will appeal to fast followers, while the Microsofts and IBMs of the world are more suitable for slow followers.

Questions And Answers

Q: What interaction will exist between vendors in each of the three categories you described?
A: In the short run you'll make separate picks, but in three years at most you'll see the first two come together. The network bucket will remain completely separate. In terms of the coordination, Web services will make the links between the two.

Q: Will the Web services component model replace Microsoft and Java?
A: The code that creates Web services won't go away or become interoperable. The way that we think about this product will be turned upside down. We'll start designing from the Web services interface down. Java and C-sharp won't go away, but the emphasis will go toward Web services.