The value and impact of investing in Web Services from an IS managerial prospective

Running head : THE VALUE AND IMPACT

The value and impact of investing in Web Services from an IS managerial prospective

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Abstract

Information systems firms are changing their way of coordination from manual activities to integrated systems . Interactions between companies have never been an easy process . Web services are the services that provide linkages among applications . Such kind of linkage becomes possible in a cheaper way with the help of web services only . The purpose of this is to provide some insight on the

value and impact of investing in web services from an information systems managerial perspective

OPENING

It is expected that more companies will utilize the great facility of web services in the coming decade . When companies become frustrated by dealing with suppliers , customers and dealers , they prefer to utilize the facility of web services . Web services are also acquired when companies have to perform some essential activities such as sales marketing , support and procurement . Web services are for such kind of activities because they are less expensive , rapid and more flexible than any other conventional technologies that were in use earlier for performing such activities

Managers in IS firms are considering to investing more in web services to avail the benefits obtained from web services and to improve the performance of the firm

INTRODUCTION

Every information systems company has its own technologies for communication , databases , systems and applications . A manager is the person who can decide which standards regarding software and hardware should be maintain that may facilitate the process of sharing of data Developers then take the idea from the manager and develop an application likewise . But there is a problem . If a company needs six applications to run simultaneously and communicate with one another then the expenses increase six times . Several corporate applications can run simultaneously in a traditional system but it will require very strong enterprise-resource-planning systems for the integration of such applications . These applications become very costly as hundreds of millions of dollars are required and the complete implementation of such applications takes place in several years (Brown et al 2002

Integration of systems becomes very challenging on the front side of IT connectivity . There are very few companies that have the capability or desire to have common systems as their trading partners to ease the flow of information . IT platforms in the in-house of a company can be changed to get connected with the trading partners but this process becomes very expensive and lengthy in a traditional system

Web services have overcome this problem . They provide a platform on which the addition of applications is possible without redesigning the whole infrastructure . This process is less expensive and less time consuming . Companies are encouraged to invest in web services to get the maximum benefits offered from them (Hagel III 2002 Standards drive impending impact of Web services : Web services will eliminate the low-level necessary to integrate applications because when the systems ' data are wrapped in XML...