Levels of Web Service Adoption: From Technical Solution to Business Opportunity

This article presents a theoretical framework distinguishing four systematically different levels of Web Service technology adoption. The framework is related to Swanson’s IS innovation theory. Based on IS innovation theory the conjecture is made that each level of Web Service technology adoption has important differences in adoption requirements and potential outcomes. The framework is intended to be used as a tool to evaluate Web Service technology adoption and may consequently help devise strategies to effectively adopt Web Service technology. Web Services adoption may range from providing simple connectivity between applications to providing complex and flexible functionality to external consumers. The implications for IS and the organization as a whole are presumably very different depending on how and for what purpose Web Services are being adopted. Simply looking at whether or not an organization is adopting Web Service technology is therefore not sufficient. A differentiated perspective is needed to examine the implications of Web Services adoption and to develop effective adoption strategies. Swanson argues that “innovation types are significant in part because research findings suggest that facilitation factors vary among them, and further, that adoption sequences and timing may also vary systematically.” By matching levels of Web Service technology adoption to innovation types, the author makes the conjecture that there are systematic differences between the levels of adoption (see Table 1) with significant implications related to adoption strategy as well as organizational requirements for successful adoption.