Gartner Says 2003 is the Year for Even Cautious Enterprises to Begin Web Services Pilot Programs; Research Spotlight Examines How Initial Web Services Projects Have Worked Out.

Business & High-Tech Editors

Gartner Symposium/ITxpo

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2002

Web services have begun to infiltrate enterprise IT projects, and even cautious companies will need to begin Web services pilot programs in 2003, according to Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB).

"As companies begin the early implementation of Web services, the versatility of the technology is becoming increasingly clear," said Whit Andrews, research director for Gartner. "Web services is fulfilling its potential as low-risk, high-utility data integration catalysts, but it is also emerging in unusual, visionary projects."

Over the past year, Gartner has monitored companies implementing Web services projects in order to examine the challenges and lessons learned from the early adoption of Web services. One of the main challenges experienced by the companies was deciding which projects should be assigned to Web services.

"Few enterprises should base a costly, strategic overhaul of mission-critical applications for 2004 or earlier on Web services," Andrews said. "However, companies whose IT staffs intend to embrace robust new programming models should begin to experiment with Web services now, developing pilots for deployment no later than 2003."

One major trend Gartner has recognized through monitoring the companies is that enterprises on the whole are not engaging in projects that require substantial security. Most companies are engaging in interactions that are unattractive for miscreants, or simply layering on basic security capabilities.

Another trend is that many companies are deploying Web services in projects with low developer headcounts. Gartner recommends that projects not exceed eight developers, except when a company is unusually committed to Web services or to the development of appropriate management methodologies. Most enterprises have used even fewer than eight developers.

"Typical internal project teams have been closer to three developers and external development has generally been conducted in such a way that the load for enterprises is distributed to teams of similar size, for instance, two internal and one external developer," Andrews said.

Additional information is included in the Gartner Spotlight report "Web Services Are Showing their Usefulness." This Spotlight provides case studies of companies that have implemented Web services programs in the past year, and it highlights both the problems and successes these companies have had. There are links to reports that examine Web services initiatives by various companies, including Microsoft, Eastman Chemical, uBid and Google.

This Spotlight can be found on the Gartner Web site at http://www.gartner.com/1_researchanalysis/focus/swecosys_fa.html. To find out how to subscribe to Gartner programs, please visit www.gartner.com, or call 203-316-1111.

Further analysis on Web services will be discussed at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, October 6-11 in Orlando, Florida. Gartner Symposium/ITxpo is the IT industry's largest and most strategic conference, providing business leaders with a look at the future of IT. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/symposium. Members of the media can register by contacting Maria DiMasi at 212-699-2734, or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than 10,500 clients understand technology and drive business growth. Gartner's businesses consist of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting, Gartner Measurement and Gartner Events. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and has 4,000 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants, in more than 90 locations worldwide. Fiscal 2001 revenue totaled $963 million. For more information, visit http://www.gartner.com.