Much has been written about Web services from a technology perspective. Recently, coverage of how enterprises will use Web services has also increased. Far less coverage has been given to how Web services will be commercially exploited by businesses that implement and manage technology, namely, IT services providers. This Spotlight attempts to restore the balance.
Technology secures less than 50 cents of every dollar that enterprises spend externally on IT, yet the role of external services providers (recipients of the largest slice of the IT pie) in the adoption of new technology is often overlooked. It is crucial for all industry participants to understand how services providers play in the Web services market. Services companies often make or break a technology market. Read more
Web services are a component technology. Adoption will be driven or limited by the benefits they impart to business solutions that consist of Web services software, application software and IT services.
Outsourcers must develop positioning strategies for Web services scenarios, review process and infrastructure capabilities, and identify potential allies.
Gartner examines where the opportunities exist for services companies and software resellers as Microsoft's .NET strategy continues to establish a strong position in the nascent Web services market.
Vendors seeking to gain traction with Web services must understand what is driving the early uptake in specific industries and the requirements for success at the industry level.
Carriers have pursued an open services application strategy over the past decade with some positive impact. Legacy carriers' existing architectures make Web services adoption seem so close, yet so far.
In terms of impact on technical support, Web services standards will continue the trend toward increasingly more complex, critical, interconnected and difficult-to-troubleshoot technology.
Alliance implementation has been largely ignored in the Web services debate. Yet lack of execution capability may be one of the biggest barriers to competing in this market.
Web services have been a typical technology marketing play, with limited results. To generate greater traction, Web services vendors must apply consumer marketing practices to create businesswide buzz.
Web services will be a catalyst of change and a fundamental driver of opportunity for professional services companies, but Web services present threats as well as opportunities for them.
