Web services ignorance damaging UK IT

IT departments aren't doing a good enough job explaining to others in their organisations - especially those holding the purse strings - what web services are, according to recent research.

Over half of UK organisations are now adopting web services technologies, which involve using standards such as XML to connect software over the internet and other networks to make easier various interactions between businesses and their partners, suppliers and customers. But critical funding of more advanced deployments is at stake.

John Dillon, marketing director EMEA at webMethods, which commissioned the research of 116 senior UK IT decision-makers, said organisations are still too often "taking a leap of faith" with web services being used in an opportunistic, point-to-point way.

"[IT departments] need to relate web services to what the business issues are," he said.

But while speaking in business terms can hardly be frowned upon and using analogies of Lego building blocks may he useful in certain cases, others warn against over-simplification.

Mike Thompson, Butler Group principal research analyst, said: "It's not only about talking about 'integration' or you end up going on about SAP R/3 ERP connecting to Siebel CRM and the like. Nor is talking about Lego appropriate when a CFO is being expected to sign off the latest £200m project."

Instead he advocates talking in terms of information, data and processes - "things any CFO would understand" - and of web services simply as 'exposing things', whether they be users or applications, which are just another type of user, Thompson said.

The research found only 5 per cent of senior IT decision-makers think they can 'easily' explain what web services are, 84 per cent think they can 'probably' do so and 11 per cent "would not know where to begin".

Butler's Thompson added: "That's very worrying, especially the 11 per cent. What are they doing in that position?"