But questions remain over what companies must do to implement such services, and few businesses expect to be using them anytime soon. Web services promise to use universal standards that enable online business processes, such as authentication or currency conversion. IT shops then can use these services without having to write code. For instance, a catalog company that needs to communicate with FedEx and UPS could rely on a single Web service to dispatch orders to both shippers, instead of having to separately integrate its applications with each company.
Web services can change that.
At least a standards war that could hamper development of Web services has been averted. Prior to Sun One's launch, many feared the vendor was leaning toward a competing standard, ebXML, for development of Web services. Bekins Co. The shipping company would like to use the same software routines to extend its apps to multiple customers in a uniform way, and standards will be critical for that, Valentino says. Still, most vendors must articulate a clearer vision of how companies will actually get to that level, analysts say. Microsoft's .Net platform is also coming under scrutiny.