The Tech 20

#20 Web Services
Perhaps it's a sign of these technologically staid times that the technology currently enjoying the most buzz is an arcane and still-emerging set of standards that will...well, it's hard to say what, exactly, but that hasn't diminished the excitement. Web services are touted as a way to create and link software applications quickly and inexpensively, and to bridge older systems with new programs. That goal has been pursued with scant success for many years, but proponents of Web services say it's now within reach, thanks to the advent of the Internet and its underlying protocols. Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and other companies have invested large sums in creating the tools that will enable programmers to create software using Web services. Other software and services companies happily tout their new adherence to Web services. Caveat emptor.

Scott Leibs is a senior editor at CFO.

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