IHE ITI Web Services Glossy

Introduction

Web services can be commonly defined as a set of computer network protocols, which are based upon the technology powering the World Wide Web. The goal of implementing web services is to provide a stable, vendor neutral infrastructure platform for data exchange, upon which various products can differentiate themselves by providing value added benefits. This allows better interoperability among systems, which benefits both users, and vendors. From the user's perspective, interoperability allows them to chose the best systems to server their needs. From the vendor's perspective, using a standards-based and platform neutral technology lets them concentrate on their core competencies, and lowers the cost of research and development.

The Role of Web Services in Health Care Interoperability

Interoperability is usually defined in terms of functional interoperability, and semantic interoperability.