Vista Communications Layer Targets Web Services

The Windows Communication Foundation (WCF, formerly code-named Indigo) is a new developer framework that helps developers build Web services that tie together applications, both within an organization and between business partners, without relying on a common vendor. WCF provides developers with a message-oriented API and implements a number of standardized and emerging Web service protocols and could help corporate developers integrate applications with less code and faster development times than other Web service platforms. However, Microsoft’s developer tools are still immature, and some IT architects worry that the Web service specifications are being standardized too quickly.

WCF will be built into Windows Vista and will also ship with the WinFX Runtime Components, an add-on for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1.

Framework for Web Services

Many organizations are moving to “service-oriented architectures” in an effort to integrate their applications. In a service-oriented architecture, key applications all have Web service front ends that enable them to communicate with other applications using XML-formatted messages, typically over standard Internet protocols. A service-oriented architecture thus simplifies the integration of diverse applications and technologies.