IT giants back web services standards

IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, BEA Systems, Accenture and SAP are among the vendors that have teamed up to form a consortium to work on standards for web services.

The Web Services Interoperability Organisation will drive the development and deployment of interoperable web services to make it easier for companies to provide products, services and other activities online, both internally and with their web partners, suppliers and customers.

The Organisation will also promote existing standards defined by the World Wide Web Consortium and the Organisation for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards.

In addition, the group will encourage the consistency of future web services standards such as transaction management systems, security, authorisation and identification.

AutoDesk, Compaq, JD Edwards, Epicor, Fujitsu, Groove Networks, Iona Technologies, Macromedia, Plumtree and Qwest Communications have also announced their support.

Rod Smith, vice president of emerging technology at IBM, said in a statement that the consortium would help accelerate web services deployment beyond the initial companies.

It will provide critical interoperability guidance and testing materials that work across multiple platforms in an attempt to accelerate the worldwide adoption of web services, explained Smith.

Web services allow software made available over the internet to run in the same way on multiple devices.

Microsoft, IBM and others have already joined forces to create the web services directory, known as Universal Description, Discovery and Integration, and other standards such as Simple Object Access Protocol, Web Services Description Language and XML.