To serve the functionality and content required by today's rich variety of access methods and devices, services are being developed and deployed facilitating easier access and utilization of enterprise data, consumer content and end-user information. Service-oriented principles continue to enable connections between and within enterprises. Connecting and exposing enterprise data as services enables the rapid use of this information to enhance business intelligence, deliver innovative solutions, and create competitive advantage. Developers are also increasingly looking to apply their knowledge and expertise in Web 2.0 technologies and approaches to facilitate integration as well as deliver desktop-like experience over the web. The advent of cloud computing also offers core services such as identity, profile, social graph, etc., thereby making application creation and deployment significantly easier and faster. In addition, cloud computing eliminates the need for companies to host and manage their applications on their own IT resources. This movement toward infrastructure services means that enterprises and developers no longer have to worry about configuring and managing IT. This topic area will address how the developer community can utilize SOA, Web-Oriented Architecture, Enterprise Integration, Open Services, and cloud platforms to more simply, rapidly, and economically build and deploy enterprise and consumer applications.

Sub-topic:

• Web 2.0, next-generation Web, and cloud services platforms: New techniques for using the Web and network technologies; leveraging network effects to create unique value, including participatory Web sites, tagging, annotation, sharing, blogs, and wikis as means of mass communications; taking advantage of cloud computing
  - Best practices in delivering desktop-quality user experiences from Web applications; the effective use of Ajax
  - The use of REST and Web 2.0 techniques to solve e-collaboration problems
  - Creation of blended applications using Web 2.0 technologies
  - Best practices for employing scripting and lightweight or Web-based tools
  - Software as a service; platform as a service
  - Design and deployment of services in the cloud, including best practices for deploying and testing services

Related topics:

• Design and development tools: Languages, implementation of e-business functions, creation of applications using Web 2.0 techniques, and techniques to support scalability and availability
  
  
• Cool stuff: New approaches such as ESB, SCA, and JBI; innovation in next-generation Web services and cloud platforms; application of technologies to craft new services, solutions, or applications