P.J.: Despite what some may think, I'm about as platform-neutral as they come. But here's the problem: There's still no agreement on how presence shall be presented as a Web service. On one side are the proponents of XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), an XML-based outgrowth of the Jabber project, which doesn't seem to be supported by anyone bigger than Novell. On the other, I see IBM and Microsoft agreeing on something for the first time since OS/2 1.0 was released: that SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)/SIMPLE (SIP Implementation for Messaging and Presence Leverage Enhancements) is the way to go. So, I'm curious, Jon: What side are you on?
Jon: Both, for different reasons, but it doesn't matter for the purposes of this discussion. I know several developers who are using Jabber as a SOAP transport, and I'm told that the new breed of SIP-oriented IP PBXs offers SOAP interfaces. It's not a question of whether Web services will turbocharge the next generation of collaboration, but how. And there are two big answers. First, Web services will provide a general means of access to the messaging substrates. Second, Web services will help us unify metadata (message headers, aka context) and content (message bodies, aka documents) under a common data-management discipline: XML. [Full story at InfoWorld.com]
This was my first appearance in the InfoWorld Point/Counterpoint series. I was looking for an opening to deliver Dan Akroyd's immortal line: PJ, you ignorant slut. But the opportunity never arose. Until now :-)
Former URL: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2003/12/08.html#a861