Finding the Web services 'sweet spot'
When I tell customers that my company does Web services management, the question I often hear is, "So, what do you mean by Web services management?"
It's no wonder that there's so much confusion on this issue, because the term "management" has been used to mean many different things. Two examples: business process management, the active coordination and execution of business processes; and systems management, the passive monitoring of performance and IT infrastructure). These are two very different meanings of the word "management"--and two very different markets.
Management in the context of Web services has gained a lot of visibility, as the big companies each try to claim ownership of the space. Hewlett-Packard's OpenView division acquired Talking Blocks. Computer Associates acquired Adjoin. BEA Systems announced that its future WebLogic 9.0 release would focus on management. Are application platforms like BEA WebLogic and systems management tools like HP OpenView in the same market? Hardly. But both camps are trying to stake a claim on the space. Further confusing the issue, most pure-play Web services management solutions do a bit of both.
