Web services are a new and revolutionary type of Web application. They are self-contained, self-describing, modular applications that can be published, located, and invoked across the Web. Web services perform functions, which can be anything from simple requests to complicated business processes. Once a Web service is deployed, other applications (and other Web services) can discover and invoke the deployed service via the internet, using XML messages.

This new approach to structuring systems components, a departure from the tightly-coupled "hard wired" architectures of the past, provides a high level of interoperability and compatible co-existence among various systems using incompatible products or technologies. Web Services architecture also greatly simplifies the implementation of changes and the deployment of large distributed systems.

Web Services are often provided, for free or for a set fee, to the online community by a Web Service Provider. Location information for the Web Services is published to a UDDI Registry, where they can be located by a Consumer. The Consumer then directly interacts with the Web Service. In other cases, Web Services are designed to be accessed only by specific, authorized systems.

Web Services Relationships and Process

In today's client-centered service environment, it is critical that organizations connect with their personnel and clients as effectively as possible. Many organizations are now confronted with the challenge of upgrading from various legacy mainframe systems, which are often based on a wide range of incompatible technologies. This means that information and data can only be presented through a number of individual interfaces, with the result that personnel working in the community have no single access method to the materials and systems they regularly use. Upgrading to a single, brand-new application can have serious disadvantages, especially for those organizations delivering essential services: the time, costs and service disruptions required to migrate information are often preclusive.

Innovations, Inc.'s Customizable Web Services can connect any number of disparate computer applications to a single database, or a number of databases. Web Services make software functionality available over the Internet, so that programs built with Oracle, PHP, ASP, JSP, JavaBeans, COM/DCOM, and innumerable other technologies can make a request to a program running on another server (hence, a "web service") and use that program's response in a Management Information System, website, financial application, or almost any other application which can connect to the internet. Web Services are a relatively easy and affordable way of improving organizational functionality while limiting service disruptions.

Specifically, Web Services can:

• Provide powerful connectivity capabilities for integrating information and data into business processes and support applications
• Deliver a cost-effective investment by removing the IT management burden
• Enable developers with common developer tools and build upon a standards-based programming model
• Deliver a service level commitment with an extremely low percentage of down-time

Innovations, Inc.'s Web Services can help organizations improve business results through better access to information and data, no matter what core technology is used or where the user is located.

Specifically, Innovations, Inc.'s Web Services help organizations:

• Improve worker productivity by providing a single access interface point for information and data
• Enable service improvements to be carried out while limiting disruption of services
• Mitigate the necessity of organization-wide infrastructure upgrades
• Enhance client service by giving personnel better tools to work with

• A safe and structured method for outside systems to update data in the Central databases that follow defined business rules
• A reliable and efficient way to do heavy or large scale data retrievals and merges
• A security component to allow only the data that is appropriate to be communicated to each outside system user
• The ability to protect each system from other systems that use the Central databases

Innovations, Inc. will:

• Apply Management Consultancy principles to ensure the developed solution aligns with your organization's business goals and targets
• Manage the project time, resources and budget using our proven Project Management techniques
• Provide comprehensive documentation for the developed Web Services
• Design and develop the Web Services functionality
• Perform unit and system testing of the developed Web Services
• Conduct implementation planning
• Integrate the developed Web Services
• Deliver technical and end-user orientation and training

Innovations, Inc. understands that expert developers are only one piece of the puzzle. Like any system, a development team can not function optimally without strong management and support. Our vision includes a complete project team operating synergistically towards a single end: client satisfaction at every level.

To complement our core unit of .NET and database developers, Innovations, Inc. deploys a Project Manager to handle resource allocation, scheduling, budget, scope and change management, and to resolve problems or issues with the minimum possible adverse impact.

In support of these core members, the development team includes a Technical Architect to supervise the development architecture and ensure that the developed solution achieves all the technical specification requirements in the most efficient manner, a Test Specialist to manage testing of the solution, and a Management Consultant to work with the client to verify that the developed solution aligns with their business goals and targets. An Information Developer is also deployed to ensure that project documentation and communications materials are clear, complete and accurate.