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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / SEPTEMBER 29, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 39
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Systems/Enterprise:
IBM, MICROSOFT SHOWCASE
INTEROPERABILITY
Rivals Microsoft and IBM have recently joined together in efforts to
develop
interactive software systems using Web services.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, accompanied by IBM's software executive
Steve
Mills, showcased the abilities of the "advanced" Web services that the
companies designed in order to link their software.
IBM and Microsoft held a demonstration using software from both companies,
including Linux servers, that linked auto parts suppliers, manufacturers and
dealers through Web services that use new specifications to strengthen
security, messaging, and transaction support. Gates said that the new
specifications are in addition to such standards as XML (Extensible Markup
Language) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).
Details of the new specifications will be finalized in the coming few
months,
according to Gates.
Gates did not definitely state whether or not the companies would use OASIS
(Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) or the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for a standards body, the latter having been
used for many of the earlier Web services standards.
While Gates has strong hopes for money making opportunities, some analysts
criticize the companies' neglect of Web services management.
Web services is becoming popular with many businesses -- it provides
software
integration solutions to problems that have been around for years. The linking
of applications between companies is still sporadic, but the technology has
made enormous advances within big companies' internal business systems.
The demonstration on Wednesday could be evidence of the companies' concern
that Web services isn't being used for mission-critical applications as was
originally hoped.
While most large companies do employ Web service technology such as XML,
the
technology is basic. Gates and IBM must implement the new capabilities that
they demonstrated before advanced Web service and company linking is
adopted.
Despite the cooperation between Microsoft and IBM, disagreement between
companies over competitive strategies and the possibility of vendor domination
hinders the Web services advancement.
It may take some time for vendors to address certain concerns and
challenges,
such as automatically describing, finding and using Web services without human
intervention, before Web services becomes universal among companies.
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