Web Services Strategies
Beyond the technology, IT strategies for implementation of Web services by Doug Kaye.
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It's Time for Micropayments. Many have tried and failed to build a business around micropayments. All sorts of wallets and credit systems have been invented, patented and abandoned. I think we all know that micropayments will eventually catch on, and I think Web Services will be the catalyst that finally makes them a reality. Why am I so optimistic when history suggests otherwise? It's because I envision micropayments for services rather than for content. It's one thing to charge a few pennies to view a document, but how about services that charge small amounts (even less than a penny) for Web Service requests? I don't even have anectdotal evidence to support my theory, but I believe that the market for microcharge services is at least an order of magnitude greater than for content. The big question: Who will become the trusted vendor that acts as the middleman, aggregating and settling micropayment charges? Will it be a credit card company or a bank? A portal? A trusted vendor such as Amazon? Or a specialty company like Verisign or PayPal? Keep your eyes on this one.
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2002 11:42:22 PM 
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Travel SOAP. If you want to see a good example of real-world Web Services standards, take a look at the work of the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) that counts as its members most of the travel industry's heavyweights. OTC's 2001C Infrastructure Documentation (PDF) is a detailed specification for Web Services supporting not just the basics, but advanced services such as:
- Request and respond to airline flight availability and point of sale information
- Request and book comprehensive package holiday tours along with a variety of itinerary elements such as transportation, accommodation, car rental and other services
- Check on the availability of golf courses and book a tee timeSearch for specific hotels, check for availability, and make a reservation
- Check the availability of car rentals and simplify the steps to making that reservation
- Get and book quotes on travel insurance that best fits a traveler's needs
It's all based on ebXML and SOAP 1.1. Interesting reading.
[Source: DISA, the Data Interchange Standards Association, a key organization in the EDI/X12 world.]
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2002 2:13:49 PM
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