"It may still be early in the Web services world but it is something that is imminent," Neil Charney, director of Microsoft`s .Net strategy group said during the opening of this year`s Tech-Ed conference at Sun City.
This is the third African Tech-Ed conference, and has drawn more than 1 300 delegates from around the continent and even a few from Europe.
The message delivered during the opening of this year`s conference is that .Net "is here" and that Web services will change the way people work. ".Net is not new," said Charney. "We have been talking about this for four years ... but it is very much becoming a reality now."
Charney noted that in today`s business environment, there is an emphasis on mobility and connectivity, and .Net is built with this in mind. "We are in a new era of being connected and that is essentially what .Net is about."
He admitted that there has been a lot of confusion around Web services and the .Net strategy. "Web services are simply specifications around messages that are transmitted between systems ... and there are just a few specifications that will have a fundamental impact on the way we do business."
He cautioned that Web services "are a means and not an end to interoperability challenges. There is still going to be work for system integrators." The difference, he said, is that Web services offer system integrators a chance to offer true business value.
Charney emphasised the open nature of the standards, saying that no matter who speaks about Web services, they need to be speaking the same language.
Microsoft also showcased a few of its new products during the opening session, in particular the Windows XP tablet device which uses "ink-enabled" applications, and the "smart display" which remote-connects to the existing home or office network. The Tablet PC is expected to be released in October.
Other devices on show included the SmartPhone and a combination phone/Pocket PC device that is undergoing network trials locally.
Tech-Ed 2002 runs until Wednesday.
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