There is huge amount of hype around Web services and its standards such as SOAP, WSDL and UDDI. Although they are currently being used successfully, they have well known limitations that prevent them being used more widely by business.

This paper helps by providing an overview or "scorecard" of Web services standards from a business perspective.

The paper: explains the different areas of Web services that need standardization before businesses can realize the maximum benefit that Web services technology will bring; describes the benefits that standardization of each area could eventually bring; and, identifies and assesses the major Web services standards that have been developed in each area.

As a result of reading this paper, the reader should: better understand the benefits that Web services can bring to a business’ use of Information Technology; understand the limitations of existing Web services solutions caused by lack of standardization; and, be able to better identify those solutions that enable a business to realize the benefits of Web services now, whilst minimizing the costs associated with the changes arising as Web services standards evolve.