Friday April 22, 2005

Web services, Application Service Providers, and Be Interesting!

Tim mentioned in his blog yesterday that he just did an op ed piece in Business Week about Web Services. After reading his piece I realized that I only have a hazy notion of what web services means. To learn more I just read the web service entry in Wikipedia. It helped. The article said that software applications can use web services to exchange data over computer networks and web services can be deployed by using application server software from companies like Sun or BEA Systems. What I didn't realize before doing my little bit of research was that although lots of companies are exchanging XML messages across the network to do their work today the method for implementing web services is still evolving and will be a big area of future competition for companies like Sun, IBM and Microsoft. So what are the important factors that people will look back on in 10 years and say made the difference for the successful company or companies in this market?

I always hesitate to post an entry like the one above. Writing it forced me to understand the concept enough to be able to explain it at least a little. So it helped me, but is it interesting?

Almost a year ago Tim published the Sun Policy on Public Discourse. One of his rules is Be Interesting. I try very hard to make that my primary objective when I write for this blog. For that matter I try to make it my mission in life. So is my explanation of what I have learned about web services interesting? I am not sure. A conversation on the topic would be very interesting to me and perhaps to others but I almost feel that to be interesting on a topic like this you need to be the expert.

Another area that is very interesting to me is the whole application service provider (ASP) model for delivering software. It seems to me that it was really hot during the bubble but now is beginning to evolve and mature. Salesforce.com is the ASP example that I always hear. RightNow is a company that that I just learned about. They also use the ASP model for software and have some very cool customer service software.

The idea of selling software on a subscription basis makes so much sense to me. The appeal of not having to maintain or administer servers, back up data, or upgrade your own software is very strong as is the appeal of being able to access your application from a browser anywhere. I have to believe we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the future of this business model.