No one is quite sure how quickly Web services are taking off, but three things are very clear. Firstly, security is the biggest obstacle to people adopting Web services. Secondly, they are right to be nervous -- because the work is not yet done. But thirdly, the industry -- users and vendors -- will not let this stop the spread of Web services.

So we are going to see some very fast work in security over the next year or so.

"The main barrier to the wholesale adoption of Web services is security and trust," said David Sprott, chief executive and principal analyst at CBDi, a Web services consultancy.

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