(Stamford, CT) - Web services will capture substantial attention in 2002, and by 2004 Web services will dominate deployment of new application solutions for Fortune 2000 companies, according to Gartner, Inc.

Gartner analysts said 2002 is the year companies need to start putting together teams of developers who will become well seasoned to lead bigger and more valuable Web services efforts later.

"Enterprises should take their first steps in 2002 to take advantage of the low-risk aspects of Web services in internal developments," said David Smith, vice president and research director for Gartner. "With few exceptions, implementing high-risk business or technology projects with Web services should be avoided until at least 2004. Enterprises should first identify a short list of internal development problems that can potentially be fixed through Web services technologies. Then, they should set a schedule for addressing them in the first half of 2002."

Web services are beginning to become part of most major vendors' software architectures - a checkmark item to include in their technology infrastructure strategies. By 2003, approximately 80 percent of all platform vendors will support Web services architectures, which will represent the next generation of platform middleware.

"Although Microsoft has had a tremendous influence on Web services, the architectures and solutions that are based on its nemesis, Sun Microsystems' Java technology, will be at least as important as Microsoft's chosen technologies," Smith said. "Already in progress, several Web-services-related standards will emerge from, and be started in, the Java Community Process. By year-end 2002, Java will play a significant role in Web services architectures, but the leadership will come from vendors other than Sun through 2003."

Web services will ultimately deliver more of the promises made by previous technologies. However, Gartner analysts said enterprises must understand that Web services are not the Holy Grail of computing. Web services vendors face a dilemma in setting proper expectations about what the next level of success is and the timeline for achievement.

"If the vendors set the bar too high, promise too much and miss one thing, users may not listen anymore," Smith said. "If they set the bar too low, few users will see progress and many will claim 'there's nothing new.' Web services vendors must accurately position what is feasible and when, so that Web services don't become the next overhyped technology failure."

Additional information is available at www.gartner.com.