IT professionals talk about the benefits that Web services can provide for organisations, and a number mention keeping an eye on developments in the standards arena. But are IT departments ready for widespread rollout of Web services in their organisations?
Last month one commentator pointed out that no one seems to be quite sure how quickly Web services were taking off. He believed that security was the biggest obstacle to adoption, and that some fast work needed to be done over the next couple of years.
IT security is an issue which, without fail, is a catalyst for discussion. Particularly with emerging technologies, IT professionals want to know tips and hints from others in the industry. Everyone wants to read about other organisation's experiences and how they solve implementation and vulnerability problems. Yet it is also one of the most difficult areas for companies to talk about--no one wants to disclose information about holes they have found in their systems, even if they have since patched them.
Similarly, work is still being carried out on various Web services standards. With a number of different standards organisations and vendors involved in the process it's easy to get confused about who is doing what.
While the majority of IT managers probably aren't involved in the standards process itself, the standards developed by industry bodies will become more relevant to them once they are ratified.
As an IT manager how much attention are you paying to Web services at the moment? Have you been using, or are you planning to use, Web services in your organisation?
Please send your comments to Talkback below or e-mail us your tips to itmanager@zdnet.com.au
1%
1%
