Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Web Services
Web services
are software modules supporting specific business processes that users can in-
teract with over a network (such as the Internet) as necessary. Web services can combine
software and services from different companies to provide an integrated way to communicate.
For example, an organization could use a supplier-provided Web service to streamline the
payment of vendor invoices. The Web service could be developed so that when the user moves
the mouse over a purchase order number in an e-mail from the supplier, the amount of funds
remaining in the purchase order are displayed. The user can then approve payment by clicking
a button or link.
Software manufacturers are scrambling to meet customer demands by offering software
applications for use over the Web as services supported by advertising or subscription fees.
SAP, for example, offers more than 500 components that run as Web services to support
business functions such as finance, human resources, logistics, manufacturing, procurement,
and product development. Dun & Bradstreet provides an address verification service called
GlobalAccess that checks and completes the addresses of prospects or customers to ensure
the accuracy and completeness of this key information. Oanda.com offers a currency ex-
change rate service that downloads the most current set of rates to support the running of
accounting processes such as consolidation reporting that require the translation of multic-
urrency transactions into a single corporate currency. UPS provides a shipment tracking
service for determining the cost, current location, and the receiving party of a specific package
to enhance the order fulfillment process and provide shippers with greater visibility into the
tion's Web site, it is also necessary to minimize negative PR, as discussed in the Ethical and
Societal Issues special feature.
Web services
Software modules supporting
specific business processes that
users can interact with over a
network (such as the Internet) on an
as-needed basis.
