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Transforming e-business: E-services

HP's Java-based E-speak development framework aids in developing dynamic e-services

By James R. Borck, InfoWorld, 10/27/00

There is no denying that leveraging the Internet to streamline corporate business processes has resulted in dramatic gains, introducing efficiencies in both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) transactions. Most of today's e-business implementations, however, are little more than automation extensions of traditional processes: hard-wired relationships and corporate partnerships forged to meet a common but predefined goal.

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HP's E-speak development framework for e-services

Business Case
E-speak-enabled e-services allow companies to partner with third parties on the fly in order to maximize their offerings and services without costly integration requirements. With E-speak's modular framework for e-services, companies can leverage existing assets quickly while increasing accessibility.

Technology Case
The E-speak framework is currently the most comprehensive set of building blocks for creating dynamically interactive e-services. Good security implementation protects resources in transit and at rest. Support for broad standards ensures interoperability with existing development efforts.

Pros

• Open source
• Good integration with existing and competing standards
• Incorporation of existing languages

Cons

• Framework and tools in early stages of development
• Competing standards from industry heavyweights could prevent widespread adoption

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Now what if these same business processes could be formed more dynamically? Or what if they could be given a modular dexterity that would enable the creation of electronic marketplaces in which anyone and everyone could securely access and integrate services, on the fly, to accomplish a task or fill an order?

That day is closer than you think. The Internet continues to transform e-business, and e-services are the next major business model, providing a dynamic means of buying and selling services and wares with neither a predefined relationship nor user invocations via a Web browser.

For the moment, Hewlett-Packard is closest to delivering on the e-services promise. The company's e-services development framework, called E-speak, represents the most cohesive and comprehensive set of building blocks available for developers looking to turn assets into readily available e-services over the Internet. Furthermore, HP's commitment to open source distribution positions E-speak as possibly the most viable contender in this budding technology space.

We took a look at the latest developer's release of E-speak, Developer Release 3.03, and found a kit that provides only a rudimentary set of tools and templates to get the ball rolling. Management tools, too, are still lacking capabilities necessary for immediate enterprise-scale viability; integration with third-party management tools is also as yet absent. But the groundwork has been laid, and most of what is currently lacking has already been slated for future releases.

What exactly are e-services? E-services represent self-contained, Internet-based applications capable not only of completing tasks on their own, but also possessing the capability to discover and engage other e-services in order to complete higher-level transactions.

For more enterprise computing news, visit InfoWorld. Story copyright InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.

 

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