EEMA Web Services initiatives.

EEMA has released the first three initiatives from its Web Services Interest Group, formed by members of the association after EEMA's conference on Web Services in June 2003 declared that the area needed industry clarification. The first comes in the results of a survey conducted within the EEMA membership (multinational organisations dealing with cross-border e-Business issues), to establish the key areas of concern, including where members saw Web Services heading, what they have achieved so far within the area and what areas they felt needed further clarification. The second is a 'What are Web Services? 'document, available to all visitors to the EEMA web site at www.eema org. with a third being a new paper entitled 'Building the Business Case for Web Services', presenting the high-level business case for Web Services, illustrated with case studies and practical examples. The survey produced some interesting findings, particularly when looking at the business drivers for and business barriers against the adoption of Web Services technologies. The key drivers were seen to be integration with external partners(72%) and the integration between divisions/app/ications within the same enterprise (65%). These figures support the notion that businesses are keen to implement Web Services technologies. When asked to cite the business barriers for adoption, security, a lack of clear, stable standards and the lack of skilled staff were seen as the main obstructions.

The 'Building the Business Case for Web Services' paper is a consolidation of the interest group's knowledge and experience, presenting the high-level business case for Web Services, illustrated with case studies and practical examples. In a business context, there are always pros and cons, and EEMA weighs these up and delves into the strategies and tactics that businesses should be employing to make the most of Web Services. Practical advice is no good if it only focuses on the benefits, so EEMA also discusses ways to manage the risks of Web Services, concluding with recommendations for businesses moving forward. The paper is available to EEMA members from www.eema.org.