Employing Web Services Technologies to Deploy Collaborative Enterprise Architectures

by Tushar K. Hazra

In today's stagnant global economy, Darwin's survival of the fittest has become a vital mantra for a number of large companies -- and a harsh reality for many small-to-midsize businesses. Large companies are acquiring small-to-midsize niche businesses to add extra value or competitive edge to their existing business models. (Large companies are defined as those with more than $500 million in annual revenues; medium-sized are those with less than $500 million in annual revenues; and small are those with annual revenues of less than $250 million.) Some equally strong companies are merging mostly to complement each other and to forge ahead in their endeavor to attain a substantial market share in a specific business space. In today's highly competitive landscape of global sourcing and persistent trends in mergers and acquisitions, most thought leaders and business visionaries are confronted with two major pain points: