Customer Reviews

Executive's Guide to Web Services (SOA, Service-Oriented Architecture)

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Given the wide spread industry hype surrounding Web Services, and the appearance that every software vendor has their own definition and perspective on what really constitutes a Web Service, what do you get - A whole heap of confusion!!

In tackling this confusion "Executive's Guide to Web Services," does a great job of explaining what Web Services are, and separating the business realities from the overblown hype. As such this book is recommended reading for anyone who is looking for a foundation upon which to really understand this emerging subject space.

In this book Marks and Werrell discuss:

- What differentiates Web Services from previous IT trends
- The concepts and standards that make Web Services possible
- The rational for using Web Services to increase organizational flexibility and agility
- Current and future business scenarios for reducing costs and increasing revenues
- How and where to begin using Web Services (as well as where not!)
- Predominant software vendors in the Web Services space, and their market positions

Overall the book avoids technical discussions, favoring a business centric perspective, from which strategic and tactical business considerations are examined. If you are looking for a guide on how to code your first Web Services program, this is not the book for you, this topics is left to the numerous implementation books already out there.

In this book you will find a solid Web Services foundation that will arm you with a good perspective on what Web Services are, as well as where and when to use them today. You will also gain the knowledge and understanding necessary to discern Web Services reality from hype - do not underestimate how valuable this knowledge is for early forays into implementation of Web Services!

"Executive's Guide to Web Services" starts out by providing real world examples of how and where Web services are being used today (e.g. Dunn & Bradstreet, Dell etc). These examples are used as a backdrop from which Web services concepts are introduced. Chapter 2, "Standards, Concepts and Terminology" is without doubt the most readable and comprehensive Web services primer that I've yet to find - it's worth buying the book for this chapter alone!

CONTENT:
Using chapter 2 as a foundation, later chapters further explore what Web services are, and what they can (and can't) do for businesses. Key topics covered include:
o Web Service Adoption - Looks at the hype surrounding Web services and outlines what's really achievable today. Also, details what the authors refer to as the "Web services Adoption Lifecycle," which maps the likely adoption and business usage of Web services over the next 3-5 years.
o Where to Begin - A step by step analysis of how, where, and when to use Web services for your business.
o Strategic/Vertical Market Implications - The medium to long terms strategic implications of Web services adoption.
o Architecting for Competitive Advantage - A conceptual discussion of how Web services can be used to create a more agile and flexible infrastructure, which is more adaptive to the fluidity of today's market dynamics.

CONCLUSIONS:
Overall, "Executive's Guide to Web Services" does a great job of explaining what Web services are, where and when to use them, and how they can be used to improve internal and inter-company operating efficiencies. The book covers each topic comprehensively, and does a good job of explaining complex concepts in a plain, easy to understand language.
Whether you are only just beginning to look into Web services, or you want to gain additional insights into how your business should look to use Web services, "Executive's Guide to Web Services" will be a good choice.

Good Choice - Highly Recommended.

An excellent book for any business or IT executive that really needs to understand the concepts and implications of Web services. For those who need to appreciate how this technology will impact their business environment and strategic direction, but are not about to sit down and start writing the code!

This book takes the reader from first principles, laying a foundation upon which the implications and potential of Web services can be fully understood. Early chapters introduce and explain Web services basics as well as introducing a model for how they will be adopted over the coming 3-5 years. Later chapters look at the strategic and vertical market implications of Web services, before moving on to the more tactical question of how and where to begin their implementation.

Throughout the book the authors maintain a vendor neutral perspective, which is particularly helpful when they introduce and discuss the primary software vendors (BEA, IBM, Microsoft etc) wrestling for dominance in the Web services market. The book covers all the bases and should be required reading for managers and executives wanting to learn about Web services.

I give this book a 5/5 for those who want - or perhaps need - to understand Web services and anticipate their impact on business and IT operations. Overall a great Web services primer.

Web-based initiatives can be as simple or complex as looking at the night sky. The technology choices from programming languages to servers to networks to security can be overwhelming. Add to the mix the types of Internet-based business systems desired and demanded by customers along with the ability to implement them and you can find a state of confusion and uncertainty.

Eric and Mark do a superb job of helping executives understand how to take realistic steps to solve the technology conundrum and how best to approach Web-based initiatives that will bring the greatest value to achieving business goals. Without such a book, this journey can be daunting.

The thought leadership presented in the book takes the reader from the application of innovative uses of current technologies to the leading edge of future applications and architectures; all compartmentalized into four phases of adoption.

A great dissertation that is ahead of the pack in toning down the hype of Web Services while presenting a realistic view of the tremendous value that can be achieved.

There is not enough detail here to make this book worth the money. Don't waist your time, there are many other books here that will fill in the details, this is not one of them.