Business and Technical Workflows for e-Business in a Virtual Cluster of ISPs

Although workflow technologies have existed for some time, their true potential is only now being unlocked with the emergence of Web services technology and XML in conjunction with expanding Internet use. There has been extensive support for Web services and the standards have matured sufficiently for widespread adoption, replacing proprietary standards for interfaces and data that hindered the integration and automation of business processes, especially between partners wanting to cooperate in a virtual organization. This paper discusses the application of workflow technologies in supporting the e-Business of small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) collaborating in a virtual cluster. Not only business processes but also innovative technical processes are being executed as workflows in the marketing, deployment and operation of tailored ISP services. A scenario depicts the actual processes used and illustrates how the software being developed supports e-Business for ISPs collaborating in a virtual cluster.