The Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I) — which was founded by major tech firms to facilitate
interoperability in the burgeoning field — forged three working groups at its first community meeting held this week in San
Francisco.
The groups and their tasks include:
- The Basic Web Services Profile Working Group: created to identify a set of specifications (including XML Schema, SOAP, WSDL and
UDDI) that provide the foundation for Web services, and will establish conventions and recommendations for coordinating their use - The Sample Applications Working Group: forged to provide sample applications of basic Web services to accelerate deployments
- The Test Materials and Tools Development Working Group: established to develop self-administered tests to verify conformance
with the Basic Web Services Profile These tools and materials will be used to ensure that Web services interoperate across
platforms, applications and programming languages.
Web services, described by many experts as those that are made available from a Web server for Web users or other Web-connected
As a testament to the popularity of Web services, more than 100 companies have joined WS-I since its February 2002 launch. The WS-I
counts AT&T , Cisco Systems Inc.
and Procter & Gamble among its new members. The group’s founders
include Accenture , BEA
, Hewlett-Packard Co.
, IBM Corp.
, Intel
Corp. , Microsoft Corp.
and SAP
.
With this momentum, the WS-I is targeting a fall release for offerings from the working groups.
programs to facilitate efficient e-business practices, have caused quite a stir in the high-tech industry, with many firms latching
on to the WS-I for a piece of the rather large, potential billion-dollar pie.
Still, the sector is as undecided as it is busy, as firms are pushing to etch out standards for interoperability. This, businesses believe, will
ensure smooth delivery and compatibility of a cross-pollination of services and software infrastructures to help firms conduct
business.
