The Thrilla in Manila: both the name and the events of that steamy October
day in 1975 remain seared in the memory of all who watched it. Muhammad Ali
and Joe Frazier, two of the greatest boxers in heavyweight history, battled
toe-to-toe for 14 rounds, until Frazier's corner surrendered and threw in the
towel.
Today the technology industry is in the midst of its own thrilling fight -
one that is centered on the much-hyped world of Web Services. And just as
with Ali and Frazier, the various combatants are treating each other to
verbal jabs and taunts. Anyone who attended JavaOne this past June witnessed
this, particularly at some of the morning keynotes. Unfortunately, as
companies continue to spar over the issue, we are losing the necessary focus
on the business impact of Web Services as each vendor beats its own
technology drum.
One thing companies don't seem to ... (more)