Web services, service-oriented architectures, and cloud computing : the savvy manager's guide / Douglas K. Barry ; with David Dick.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-218) and index.

pt. I. Overview of web services, service-oriented architecture, and cloud computing -- A business trip in the not-too-distant future -- Information technology used in this trip -- Web services and service-oriented architectures -- Cloud computing -- pt. II. Technical forces driving the adoption of web services, service-oriented architectures, and cloud computing -- Technical forces driving the adoption of web services -- Technical forces driving the adoption of SOA -- Technical forces driving the adoption of cloud computing -- pt. III. Managing change needed for web services, service-oriented architectures, and cloud computing -- Change issues -- Tips for managing change issues during development -- Managing change with an incremental SOA analysis -- pt. IV. Getting started with web services, service-oriented architectures, and cloud computing -- Getting started with web services -- Getting started with service-oriented architectures -- Getting started with cloud computing -- Revisiting the business trip in the not-too-distant future -- pt. V. Reference guide -- Semantic vocabularies -- Terminology.

Web Services, Service-Oriented Architectures, and Cloud Computing is a jargon-free, highly illustrated explanation of how to leverage the rapidly multiplying services available on the Internet. The future of business will depend on software agents, mobile devices, public and private clouds, big data, and other highly connected technology. IT professionals will need to evaluate and combine online services into service-oriented architectures (SOA), often depending on Web services and cloud computing. This can mean a fundamental shift away from custom software and towards a more nimble use of semantic vocabularies, middle-tier systems, adapters and other standardizing aspects. This book is a guide for the savvy manager who wants to capitalize on this technological revolution. It begins with a high-level example of how an average person might interact with a service-oriented architecture, and progresses to more detail, discussing technical forces driving adoption and how to manage technology, culture and personnel issues that can arise during adoption. An extensive reference section provides quick access to commonly used terms and concepts.