Quote unquote: The here and now of web services

Web services is the buzziest of buzzwords just now. In this week's Behind the Headlines, which you can view at http://www.silicon.com/a53245 , a group of experts look at what's really achievable today.

Is anyone actually running any projects? What does the IT director need to know before launching into the latest technology?

Here's just some of what was said...

The analysts
"Only five per cent of large companies have implemented anything at all to do with web services and when you look at what they've done, a lot of that is inside their own company."
Kevin Lucas, senior analyst, AMR Research

"In truth, not a lot of people are doing anything. The vendors are setting their stalls out. To say this is how we define web services is a little premature because nobody knows exactly what this is going to turn into."
Martin Butler, founder and research chair, Butler Group

The IT director
"Corporations without a direct interface to consumers don't really understand web services because they don't need to. When it becomes something they can touch and feel that is when a sensible IT director will start to try and capitalise upon using it."
David Rippon, chairman, Elite

The vendor
"Microsoft being Microsoft, their focus was on developers and there's obviously an element of hype. But it's when other audiences [such as end users] overhear these conversations that perhaps they get the wrong end of the stick."
Jeremy Ruston, CTO, Infuzer