As a technician for On Display in 1996, Santi Pierini and his coworkers built XML parsers for business-to-business communication and discussing what the future prospects could be for XML as a commercial language. Even then, Pierini foresaw a time when there would be plentiful software applications, including ones providing a host of econtent capabilities, that would include native XML. Now, as VP of product strategy for Day Software, Pierini sees many of those prospects become works in practice, as companies use XML and Web services to break down information silos within their companies to deliver brochures, corporate information, articles, spreadsheets, etc., to internal and external customers on a variety of front-end devices.
Industry consultants and technology vendors agree that there's no single event that's led to the growth of the technologies. Yet it is clear that the applications have become more proven and are gaining critical mass among users, which has led to a steady increase in the use of XML and Web services to break down content silos.
Many using Web services, including XML, have added these capabilities recently, according to John Blossom, president of Shore Communications. "The market has matured over the last few years. More companies are using JSP for Web services and understanding how content fits into a portal environment. From a content provider perspective it's easier with XML for vendors to provide flexible solutions flexibly across platforms," Blossom says. "It creates a lot of new opportunities now and future."
