Web Applications and Web Services: Supporting Technologies (Panel Introduction)

Different technologies are emerging for developing multi-tier enterprise Web-based applications. Among them are Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and the .NET Framework. Both support XML-based Web Services and offer related features. This panel explores the future of these technologies and identifies the issues and strategies underlying their use and evolution. NE of the most rapid areas of change for software technology today is in frameworks to support Web applications. As industry increases focus on commercial utilization of the Web, framework providers vie for developer buy-in through promise of improved support. Today a vast majority of Web-centric applications are hosted on Java solutions. But, technology advances in the recent release of Visual Studio .NET and its underlying framework promise to significantly impact market balance. Suppose you are in the situation today of selecting the platform for a new project aimed at providing Web presence to augment your company's retail offerings. The server-side options available to you are broad and represent significantly different approaches. The original approach of scripting through common gateway interface has largely been replaced by more efficient technologies represented by Java Server Pages and Servlets. Recent development platforms, however, present options where a good decision may depend upon characteristics of your application, as well as aspects of the technology framework. What application characteristics must you consider and how can you compare alternative frameworks? Web Services is an emerging technology that utilizes HTTP and XML to provide network-wide access to an Object's methods. The vision includes exposing business related services to potential consumers thus facilitating business-to- business cooperation. The model equally supports business to consumer communications, and is amenable to multiple cost models, including pay-per-use, subscription and freely available services. Interoperability among Web Service platforms promises platform, language and infrastructure