BPEL (business process execution language) is the XML-based language of Web services "orchestration" -- that is, a means to connect multiple Web services to create end-to-end business processes. Recently, InfoWorld Test Center Lead Analyst Jon Udell interviewed BPEL expert Edwin Khodabakchian about the future of this language. Khodabakchian is CEO of Collaxa, a pure-play BPM startup whose BPM orchestration product has supported BPEL for more than a year. Collaxa was acquired by Oracle earlier this month, and its BPEL Server product is now marketed as Oracle BPEL Process Manager. Full story at [InfoWorld.com]
In this outtake from our interview, Edwin pushes back against the notion that BPEL is overly complex. A lot of the complexity, he argues, has to do with XML Schema, not BPEL itself. He goes on to describe how alternate bindings -- based on WSIF and JSR 208, as well as Indigo -- will extend BPEL's reach beyond SOAP Web services to the full range of legacy protocols.
Former URL: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2004/07/17.html#a1042