Discovery is the mechanism by which services make themselves known and are discovered. Competing technologies include Universal Plug and Play from Microsoft and Jini from Sun. Description is the way in which specifications are made for information passed into and out of the service. XML-based technologies increasingly will be utilized and will provide a common format for files and for the messages between systems that deliver the services. Transport is the communication method between the user of the service and the service itself.
Environment is the runtime in which the service executes.
The relationships for building an e-services future will require vendors to acquire access to information that will define the nature of their services. In addition, it will require application service provision models that change the delivery of traditional software. This is just one example of a distinct information service that can provide value to users without forcing them to proactively retrieve data. The combination of this type of service with handheld and wireless devices extends the useful range of information beyond desktop PCs and Web browsers. This is the essence of ubiquitous computing.