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| Gartner Says Businesses Should Begin Pilot Projects Using Web Services Standards and Deployment Models by Second Half of 2002 |
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida, October 10, 2001 - Web services is likely the hottest trend of 2001 and 2002, and, at the same time, it is still an underestimated technology, according to Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB). By 2005, well-behaved Web services will drive a 30 percent increase in the efficiency of information technology development projects that use Web services aggressively for functionality inclusion, according to Gartner.
The importance of Web services is being discussed this week at Gartner's flagship conference, Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2001, taking place October 8-12 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. "Businesses should not wait for the perfect implementation of Web services, but rather stumble as closely as they can in the right direction," said Whit Andrews, research director for Gartner. "Immediate benefits will accrue through improved development practices, less-complex integration projects and changes in the fashions of development strategy." According to Gartner, businesses should commence pilot projects using Web services standards and deployment models no later than the second half of 2002, while affected industries should shoot for the first half of 2002. Web services are software components that interact with one another dynamically and use standard Internet technologies, making it possible to build bridges between systems that otherwise would require extensive development efforts. One of the tenets of Web services is that systems can advertise the presence of business processes, information or tasks that can be consumed by other systems. More than 40 percent of enterprises' first experience with Web services will be an internal deployment of a Web services-enabled architecture. Web services will have immediate benefits that do not rely on their ultimate conversion into well-behaved Web services, with complex shuttling back and forth of data in a dynamically negotiated realm. Almost without recognizing it, applications will move from a code-and-recode model to one of connect, disconnect and reconnect dynamically. "Benefits will take the shape of improved project development cultures and tighter connections between business needs and application capabilities, building toward an ideal environment," said Daryl Plummer, group vice president and research group director for Gartner. "Setbacks should be presumed, particularly in vendor interoperability conflicts, but ensuing layers of metadata and ad-hoc collaboration at low levels should ensure 'good enough' solutions." Web services initially will transform the process through which businesses make connections with one another. Established trading partners will seek to drive down the costs of interconnection by reducing the energy devoted to maintaining contacts. Businesses will then begin using Web services systems to establish connections with new business partners by directing them to their Web services directory entries. These new partnerships will have been previously agreed upon by their participants, and the Web services aspect will serve as a more efficient way for them to make contact. The financial services industry will be among the first to adopt Web services, according to Gartner. This is a result of its ready-made network of authentication and reputation systems. Other industries among the first to adopt Web services include transportation, energy, high-tech and small businesses that have little or no investment in installed software. Gartner Symposium/ITxpo is the IT industry's largest and most strategic conference, providing business leaders with a look today at the future of IT. For more than 10,000 IT professionals from the world's leading enterprises, Gartner's annual Symposium/ITxpo events are key components of their annual planning efforts, and a place to gain insights into how their organizations can use technology to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency. For more information online, go to www.gartner.com/symposium. About Gartner, Inc.
Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than 10,000 clients understand technology and drive business growth. Gartner's divisions consist of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting, Gartner Measurement and Gartner Events. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and has 4,600 associates, including 1,400 research analysts and consultants, in more than 80 locations worldwide. The company achieved fiscal 2000 revenues of $855 million. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.
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Contact: Danielle Westling Gartner 203-316-6754 danielle.westling@gartner.com |
