Using Web Services for Collaborative, Inter-Organizational Computing: A Framework and Implementation

Abstract

Collaborative computing is a powerful approach to facilitate service delivery across organizational boundaries. The major drawback of many of the current approaches of dealing with this issue is the dependence on proprietary solutions that are not based on open standards. Such solutions hinder the smooth exchange among the participating organizations due to their complexity and lack of interoperability. Web Services (WS) offer the promise of streamlining the delivery of e-services across organizational boundaries. What is currently missing is (1) a clear understanding of the important issues in deploying these technologies and (2) a compelling implementation framework for the deployment of these technologies in organizations. In this research we propose a conceptual framework for building systems that utilize Web Services technologies to enable networked organizations to automate collaborative processes. We propose an e-Business Service Chain grid that provides an impetus for addressing some of the gaps that exist in current e-services business and delivery models.