web 2 0 Strategic Analysis

8/14/2019 web 2 0 Strategic Analysis

1/33

1

Web 2.0

Team: Chris Gerrard, Hamid Hadi Sichani, Max Pruger, Gia Wood, Pradyot Rai

Fall, 2005; Strategic IT Management

A Strategic Analysis


2/33

2

History of the Web

Vannevar Bush In his July, 1945 article As We May Think inThe Atlantic Monthly wrote of the need for new ways to manage the explosion of

knowledge that was even then threatening to overwhelm the ability of professional to keep pace with developments in theirareas of interest. He described the necessity to provide access to large bodies of separate pieces of information and proposed a mechanism for

connecting the pieces to one another into trails that could be

followed to track the information associations.

We b


3/33

3

In 1989 Tim Berners-Lee proposed that a global hypertext space be created in which any network-accessibleinformation could be refered to by a single "Universal Document Identifier" (UDI). In 1990 he wrote the firsthypertext server and an editor named WorlDwidEweb . A simple browser forhypertext document written by Nicola Pellow was also released, creating what would become the World Wide Web (WWW).

This would have been remarkable enough in and of itself, but the real breakthrough was the publicationof the specifications of the enabling technologies UDI (since changed to URL ), HTML , andHTTP , on the Web server, allowing everyone who wanted to take part in the new way of sharing information to jump inand create their own Web servers, pages, sites, andbrowsers , leveraging the strength of the idea.

.This was Web 1.0

historyWeb


4/334

The dream behind the Web is of a commoninformation space in which we communicate by

sharing information . Its universality is essential: the fact that ahypertext link can point to anything, be it personal, local or global, be it draft or highly polished. There was a second part of the

dream, too, dependent on the Web being so generally used that it became a realistic mirror (or in fact the primary embodiment) of the ways in which

we work and play and socialize. That was that once the state of ourinteractions was on line, we could then use computersto help us analyse it, make sense of what we are doing,where we individually fit in, and how we can betterwork together.

Sir Tim Berner-Lee

philosophy

Web


5/335

Web 2.0 is not about technology ; rather, it builds upon the Web 1.0 foundation byincorporating old and new technologies, techniques, and concepts of information creation, distribution, and access into amuch richer information universe where the value of information can be tapped in

ways previously unknown , and in many ways unanticipated . This paper examinesthe elements that make up Web 2.0, considers their benefits, and proposes ways in which the modern information organization can further itsstrategic goals by embracing the Web 2.0 principles and practices.

Web 2.0Web 2.0

The foundation technologies of Web 2.0 are the same as those of Web 1.0. The emergence of Web 2.0 hastaken place through the coupling of technology with progression of innovation in the use of thetechnology for novel purposes . As an example, the creation of Web forms in 1993 [1] enabled theRESTful approach to information systems

architecture by providing the ability to send parameterized information to the Web server in a request; Ward Cunningham took advantage of this

ability to create the first Wiki in 1995 so that a community of like-minded people could trulycollaborate on building their body of commonknowledge .


6/33


7/33

7

creating informationWeb 2.0

Information in Web 2.0 can be

created in a wide

variety of ways, and contained in an even

wider variety of formats , ranging from the straightforward HTML page to complex proprietary-format documents todynamic data retrieved from databases in another dimension. In Web 2.0 the concept of

information is its all the same information is information, as long as it isaccessible through the mechanisms of the Web , including the newermechanisms described below.


8/33

8

connecting informationWeb 2.0

Vannevar Bush articulated the concept of associative indexing , the process of tying two things together so that any item may be caused to select another. Tim Berners-Lee provided the means to link information together via embedded links declared in HTML . Web 2.0 has embraced andextended the concept of connectedness by incorporating external mechanisms for connectingtogether previously disconnected items . These range from passive and internal tohighly dynamic and organic . The following sections describe the mechanisms at work in eachcontext.


9/33

9

accessing informationWeb 2.0

The value of information exists only in its usage .There are multiple ways in which the information held within Web 2.0 can be found and retrieved. The classic web browsing orsurfing is the concept of following Vannevar Bushs trails laid down by a pioneer who has beenthrough the information before you and laid down the markers to follow. There are other ways , from the purelyhuman to the purely automated . Again, each following section will describe the relevant information accessmechanisms.

Beginning with the ability to incorporate information gathering through the use of forms, following the RESTful architectural patterns, through theemergence of Wikis and their true collaboration model of information development, to Weblogs/Blogs, coupled with RSS and email fordisseminating information to interested parties, to social networks and their impact on the collaborative development of meaning, , through toWeb Services and their SOA cousin providing the larger scale, more formal approach to component-based application development.

W b 2 0


10/33

10

REST Foundation of the Web Web 2.0

Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style fordistributed hypermedia systems like the world wide web. The term originated in a 2000doctoral dissertation about the web written by Roy Fielding , one of the principal authors of the HTTP protocol specification,and has quickly passed into widespread use in the networking community.

While REST originally referred to a collection of architectural principles (described below), people now often use the term in a looser sense to

describe any simple web-based interface that uses XML and HTTP without the extra abstractions of MEP-based approaches like the web services SOAP protocol. Strictly speaking, it is possible (though not common) to design web service systems inaccordance with Fielding's REST architectural style, and it is possible to design simple XML+HTTP interfaces in accordance with the RPC style, sothese two different uses of REST cause some confusion in technical discussions.Systems that follow Fielding's REST principles are often referred to as RESTful ; REST's most zealous advocates call themselves RESTafarians .

W b 2 0


11/33

11

REST - PrinciplesWeb 2.0

REST's proponents argue that the web has enjoyed the scalability and growth that it has

as a result of a few key design principles :

A stateless client/server protocol : each HTTP message contains all the information necessary tounderstand the request. As a result, neither the client nor the server needs to remember any communication-state between messages. In practice,however, many HTTP-based applications use cookies and other devices to maintain session state (some of those practices, like URL-rewriting, are

not RESTful).A set of well-defined operations that apply to all pieces of information (called resources ):HTTP itself defines a small set of operations, the most important of which are GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. People often compare these with theCRUD operations required for data persistence, though POST does not fit cleanly into the comparison.

A universal syntax for resource-identification: in a RESTful system, every resource is uniquely addressablethrough the resource's URI .The use of hypermedia both for application information and application state-transitions: representations in a REST system are typically HTML orXML files that contain both information and links to other resources; as a result, it is often possible to navigate from one REST resource to manyothers, simply by following links, without requiring the use of registries or other additional infrastructure.

W b 2 0


12/33

12

Wikis Web 2.0

A wiki is a website that multiple authors can edit as easily as typing plain text. Wiki, the name and concept,are the brainchild of Ward Cunningham , who launched the first wiki on March 25,1995 to support a community of like-minded people in accessing and dynamicallychanging documents on-line . His site was a quick way to complete a project, and he adopted theHawaiian term wiki, based on the Hawaiian term wiki, meaning "quick," "fast," or "to hasten" . Interestingly, the source for this quote Wikipedia is the largest and most highly regarded online encyclopedia, and is itself a wiki.

The original wiki was open to the general public one of the authors

(Gerrard) began reading it in 1996, and contributing to it in 1997. The great advantage of this approach is that itencourages people to add their bits of information to the whole bodyof information thats been provided by all the contributors .

Communal Information Development

Web 2 0


13/33

13

WikisWeb 2.0

Wikis make it easy to contribute

to the information contained in a web site through their open access philosophy , straight typingto enter information , and simple markup language used to identifydifferent kinds of content. Entering information into a wiki is just typing; what you type is what goes in. Beyond that, the deliberatesimplicity of the wiki mark-up language makes it easy for all users , regardless of their technicalexpertise, to add more complex elements. Creating new pages is accomplished by typing a word in an existing page using

CamelCase capital letters begin each individual word in a combined string of words. When the wiki sees a CamelCase word itrecognizes that it refers to a separate page, creates the page if it doesnt exist, and provides an HTML link to it wherever the CamelCase wordappears. Other markup elements such as bolding and italicizing text and inserting bulleted lists are accomplished through similarly simple markups;

e.g. text written *the ocean doesnt want me today * gets displayed as the ocean doesnt want me

today .

Web 2 0


14/33

14

WikisWeb 2.0

Wikis can be public, as already seen, or private. Acquiring a private wiki is easy; software that runs a wiki the wiki engine, is available in abedazzling array of choices. Wiki engines are written in every major programming language (and many minor ones), have a vast array of features,and are available as both open source and commercial offerings. Wikis are also available as hosted services, which are suitable for exploratory andprivate use, but are less attractive in a business environment where the information in the wiki may constitute an intellectual asset. Manycorporations implement public wikis as customer support tools, and private wikis as part of their internal knowledge management systems.

Wiki information is available through multiple channels . The informationwithin the wiki is available thorough the links between page written by the authors via CamelCase .

Notificationof changes to the content can be sent to interested parties through

emailnotifications. RSS feeds

(described later) can provide periodic updates to subscribers to the RSS feeds . Wikis normally provide searchingcapability, ranging from a simple title search to an all-encompassing wiki community search. Most wikis also offer

a page containing recent changes and index page .

Web 2 0


15/33

15

Blogs Personal PublishingWeb 2.0

A blog , or weblog (derived from web + log), is a web-based publication consistingprimarily of periodic articles normally, but not always, in reverse chronological order. They permit theimmediate publication of relatively small scale pieces of information.Peter Merholz coined the term blog in May of 1999 but by that time the concept of blogging was widespread. There is no definite point of emergence of blogs; before blogs, electronic communities in the form of email lists, discussion forums, and bulletin boards existed to publish user

content. Blogs evolved as a means to publish straight to the web , and made it easy to publishcontent and then link comments, additions and afterthoughts to the original content . There areblogs on every subject imaginable , published worldwide by both individuals andcorporations.Creating information with a blog is extremely simple. Once the blog software is in place one only needs to create a new entry and start typing.Blog software is available to install and use, and blogging services are available from a number of hosted services such as Blogger, LiveJournal, andOpenDiary. As with wikis, corporations can install and initiate private blogs, and determint Since most corporations prefer to maintain control, thesimplest solution is to download a blog application, install it on a server, define user rights and start publishing.

Web 2 0


16/33

16

blogsWeb 2.0

Distribution of blog content is possible through email or RSSfeeds . In addition, special blog search engines , such as Google BlogSearch, Technorati, and Feedster [1] ,make it possible to sift through millions of blogs and retrieve specific content . For example, BlawgRepublic is ablog search engine created specifically to search law blogs. The true benefits of blogging for a corporation are to provide a window into the behind-the-scenes goings on at their business, presenting a more personal "face" to the public rather than a cold corporate persona, and to elicit customer

feedback. Many entrepreneurs are using blogs to create a personal relationship with their targetaudience, giving consumers a sense of ownership in product design, marketing, and eventual launch.

Large corporations are monitoring product blogs to quickly respond toemerging issues and to incorporate recommendations intofuture releases. The most recent example of a blogs to respond to a potentialdisaster is Apple with their iPod Nano. Soon after the initial release of the Nano, blogs appeared complaining about a screen glitch andlack of durability [2] . Before the issue escalated into a full-blown disaster, Apple announced they would replace all defective units. Ironically,

instead of this debacle hurting Apples reputation, they were commended for their quick

response . Corporations are also using blogs to provide users with expert advice. As a pre-emptive move, Macromedia launchedblogs before the release of their Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and ColdFusion applications to rave reviews. Marketing departments are alsocreating special blogs, called BusiBlogs, to advertise and promote their products and services.

Web 2 0


17/33

17

RSSWeb 2.0

RSS, originally Real Simple Syndication , now commonly called Rich SiteSummary , is a way of packaging changes to Web content in a standard XML format and making it available through a well knowmechanism, termed feeds , so that interested parties can keep up with the new information . Thefeed consists of XML that encapsulates the new information, and can be accessed via

feed readers programs that contact the

web site and retrieve the feed. RSS began as a way for people to see what was new on the sites that interested them. Feed readers, originally

standalone applications, became commonplace in email programs and web browsers. In Web 2.0 RSS feedersare being used to gather information for use in mashups , as inhttp://almaer.com/blog/archives/000931.html, describing the retrieval of specially tagged photographs from Flickr and combing those photographswith Google maps to produce custom maps with pictures of locations attached.

Web 2 0


18/33

18

TaggingWeb 2.0

Tagging refers to the practice of attaching key words to pieces of web content. The only restriction is that the content bereachable via a URI . Seemingly innocuous, the act of tagging , when practiced by largenumbers of people , has proven to be enormously powerful. When two people tag different items with the same key word they are

forming an association between the items, and the association is a link that can be followed by a tag-awaresystem. When multiple people use the same key word the effect is to create a category of meaningthat includes all the tagged items as members of the category. A category of meaning created through the growth of tags has been termed a

Folksonomy , itself a portmanteau of the words folk (or folks) and taxonomy , the term folksonomy has been attributed to ThomasVander Wal .[1]Tagging sites like del.icio.us ( http://del.icio.us/ ) have proven to be extremely popular; one reason is that they provide the social function of allowing

the a user to see what other people have applied ones tags to, and thereby explore common interests .From a corporate perspective , the emergence of folksonomies has been proposed as a very effective way of

organizing information according to the concepts and meanings of the people intimately engaged with it, and that the creation

of environments that support the effective growth and use of tagging and folksonomies can provide real value in leveraging anorganizations knowledge assets.


19/33

Web 2.0


20/33

20

searchingW

Computerized searching for information has been around for a very long time. In the early web searching was verylimited. Early search engines relied upon the classic searching techniques such as text indexing, in-documentproximity analysis, and limited word stemming. As the web grew exponentially, these techniques, even coupled with the taxonomic approachexemplified by Yahoo became unwieldy and unreliable in locating the best, or even highly associated or relevant results.

Googles PageRanking mechanism of weighting a web resource (pages) using the number of links to it fromother locations provided an external measure of the importance of the pages information.

Searching in Web 2.0 builds upon Web 1.0, and promises to provide real benefits in the usefulness of information,particularly within organizational boundaries. With the advent of low cost search appliances from companies like Google, it is now possible to locatevirtually information accessible via the organizational network. The Web 2.0 search challenges involve incorporating the

new information relationships that are emerging. Wikis and blogs rely on hyperlinks and commenting to extendinformation, these are not fundamentally different from Web 1.0, their volume and granularity pose interesting problems. The greater challenge, and

far greater potential payoff, is in using the emerging associative connections to reveal higher-level relationshipsbetween and among information assets. For example, a corporate folksonomy contains the information structure and relationships meaningful to the

people who grow it; the ability to employ this meta-information to find and reveal relevant information willprovide real strategic benefits .


21/33

Web 2.0


22/33

22

Mashups and AggregationNovel Uses of Information

Web 2.0


23/33

23

Web 2.0


24/33

24

Web Services and SOA

Business of modern world has benefited from the protocols that allow heterogeneous computersystems to interoperate efficiently. These technologies are referred to web services collectively.Later SOAP 1.1 was introduced; it defines components or services usingXML content during interactions in distributed systems and allows technology implementationdetails to be hidden . The new technology has led to widespread use of web services.The move to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) did not commerce until 2000. SOA represents a bigger picture of what we could do with web

services. It is an approach to build distributed systems that deliver or build application functionalities as services to end-user applications.

Web 2.0


25/33

25

principlesWeb services are built on concepts using underlying software components to offer services through interface. It is a big leap from component

architecture because it further extends the separation of services from their implementations .The notion that service is the integral part of component thinking and the introduction of COBRA are both the prelude to service-orientedarchitecture. While Web Services is the programmatic interface that follows the principles of separation of services, independence of the platforms

and loose-coupling transport, Service Oriented Architecture is much wider in scope addressing policies,rules and common services that enable:

A logical business structure for use by internal and external clients regardless of implementation technologies;Design and quality of service characteristics that enable use or reuse, abstraction and conformation with service level agreements.

Enabled by Web Services , Technology neutrality , Endpoint platform Independence, Transport and interface standardization,Standards based protocols, Separation of provider and consumer, Enabling automatic discoveryand usage , Enabled by SOA, Functional standardization, Use(reuse) of service; not reuse copying of code/implementation, Abstraction,Service is abstracted away from the implementation, enabling technology and application independence, Formalization of relationship,

Formal contract between endpoints, places obligations on provider and consumer, Relevance. Functionality presented at agranularity recognized by the user as a meaningful service

Web 2.0


26/33

26

technologyAs with web services there are two key roles with SOA architecture: service requestor and

service provider. The requester application invokes the services offered by provider applications by sending request

messages. Requester also processes response messages sent by provider.Some providers could also be requestors. They aggregate responses from the other providers to construct composite responses. Certain SOAtechnologies such as UDDI and WS-Trust also use a service broker as an intermediate for brokered trust agreements or service location, etc.

The W3C SOAP 1.2 standard defines the use of XML-formatted messages for communication between a service requestor and a service provider.Requesting message (XML) put in a SOAP envelope (also XML) is sent to the provider. Provider sends the message back in the same format.

SOAP is the best way to support invocation in a SOA environment involving heterogeneous systems. It is platformneutral and vendor neutral . However, SOA does not always require SOAP. The company could build the SOAusing Java, for example, as long as all entities are written in the same language. But this is not workable with a scenario when multiple partners andheterogeneous platforms are in the picture.

Web 2.0


27/33

27

service description

The Web Services Description Language (WSDL) specifies the XML language fordefining the contract between service provider and requestor in terms of messages.WSDL contains the following content:

Request message format

Response message formatWhere to send messages

WSDL is based on XML therefore it is machine-readable. The developers could use this protocol to automate servicediscovery and invocation . For example, a Java proxy object can be generated to invoke any Web servicefrom its WSDL description, regardless of how the service is implemented, either using Java, C#, or any other languages. In fact, WSDL does notspecify implementation details such as programming language.

Web 2.0


28/33

28

service discovery

Service discovery is optional for SOA. UDDI ( Universal Description, Discovery,and Integration ) defines a standard interface (based on SOAP messages) for publishing the availability of the services andfor finding a required service. UDDI implements a service registry which is a broker between the provider and requestor.SOA does not require UDDI however it could be a wise choice if SOAP is the protocol that is being implemented since UDDI is built on SOAP.

Web 2.0


29/33

29

benefitsSOA that properly reflects the real world creates convergence of the business and IT

perspectives and promotes greater

efficiency , adaptabilityand

costcontrolin business relationships and structures.

The service creates looser coupling between business models and technologies. This will reduce the dependency on specific technologies orproducts.

Specification of functionalities into independent services would facilitate shared business and technical services that enable consistency across theenterprise and local variation.

Self-describing nature of the run-time services enables automation of business rules and technical functions, reducing human intervention and

promoting straight-through processing.

SOA services can be extensively re-used and the protocol encourages asset repurposing.


30/33

Web 2.0


31/33

31

Web 2.0


32/33

32


33/33

web 2 0 Strategic Analysis

Documents

Transcript of web 2 0 Strategic Analysis