[ Thanks to Dromedary for this link.
]
“…Yet Eclipse, analysts say, is a break from the
proprietary pattern, and it is coming at a crucial juncture for the
industry. The Internet is evolving beyond a medium for viewing Web
pages and downloading information and entertainment. Instead, the
Internet is in effect becoming the equivalent of an operating
system — a technology “platform,” on which programs can be run and
built.New software technologies like Java, the Internet programming
language, and XML, a standard for identifying and interpreting
information sent over the Internet, are making the evolution
possible. And the transition opens the door to a new level of
Internet use, from automating online transactions between companies
to developing an array of personalized services for
individuals.The potential new uses, made possible by software, are being
called Web services. The industry sees Web services as an important
new avenue of growth. Major companies including I.B.M., Microsoft
and others are eager to develop the new business, and they are all
trying to woo developers to their respective camps.”
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