The comment came immediately after a one-day web services conference in Hong Kong. Participants to the conference believed that web services is one of the top technologies in 2002, which will provide opportunities and business benefits for enterprises to adopt these technologies and services.

They said that the total software, hardware and services opportunity derived from web services will rise from 1.6 billion US dollars to 34 billion US dollars by 2007. Being the world's third largest IT market by 2010, China will also be the largest web services market in Asia.

Web services is the joining of data and applications across the Internet, holding promises of streamlined business process integration, interoperability, development cost savings, and quicker time to market, according to Gary Fung, managing director of IDG World (Asia) Ltd.

Fung said web services can be developed to support a number of different IT activities, the integration of existing applications,business process automation, and many different business-to-business integration possibilities.

During the conference, World Wide Web Consortium unveiled the evolution of semantic web and web services applications, current facilities and development of cost savings. Microsoft also introduced the world's first platform built from the ground up forthe world of XML Web Services.

In comparison with installed-base software packages and fixed business processes, web services delivers significant benefits from its flexibility, faster product development through the use of third-party solutions, quick deployment of new services for customers and streamlined business processes and operations, said Roger Dum, vice-president of SilverStream Asia Pacific.

Participants also explored the security of web services, the future use of web services, and web services for e-government. "Web services seems to be the only means in offering a truly meaningful e-government," said Chris Yeung, president of XML Asia.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2002)