Following on promises to release additional information on their plan, Microsoft Corp. and Vodafone Group plc offered further insight into their Web services plan. Specifically, the companies released their Web services white paper at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference.
“To jump-start standardized mobile Web services, Microsoft and Vodafone have produced a technical road map proposal for the industry,” said Ian Maxwell, group strategic relationship director at Vodafone. “The proposed road map is an important first step toward gaining industry consensus on the convergence of mobile and PC applications and services. We look forward to working more closely with the industry to progress this initial mobile Web services standardization work and take it forward to standards bodies.”
The companies have promised a Web services model that adopts the existing industry-standard Web services architecture to simplify the development of applications integrating mobile network services. The road map also addresses issues such as integrating mobile security and payment services with the Web services architecture, as well as exposing location and messaging services.
Those in the industry have worried that the joint Web services plan would introduce proprietary technologies that would essentially block other Web services vendors, but Microsoft and Vodafone have denied such intentions.
