A web service is a collection of protocols and standards used for exchanging data between applications or systems. Software applications written in various programming languages and running on various platforms can use web services to exchange data over computer networks like the Internet in a manner similar to inter-process communication on a single computer . Web services eliminate import/export upload/download processes and many other time-consuming tasks allowing for e-business interaction to flow automatically.

Now, if you are thinking to have your own API then please read further Service Side Web Services section and for those who are interested to using APIs of any service providers to integrate that into their website for data exchange then please read Client Side Web Services section.

Server Side Web Services
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Do you want to make your own API and start providing web services to other sites..?

Well, this section is for you

First question that arises in one's mind i.e. need of web services API. Well, web services API provides service seekers to integrate seamlessly into your website to acquire services. To do so, there is no need to change any code irrespective of technology, operating system or programming model. Service providers can sell this API to service seekers at a certain price or even free of cost depending upon industry domain and business strategy. Also, you can have an affiliate sort of program run through this. e.g. you have a shopping portal and want a API developed for others to integrated in their website. By doing so, the same number of products will be displayed in other website in customized manner but originally data is extracted from your website. For every sale of products, you need to pay that affiliate a commission as per agreed. So, in this way, it helps even to promote your services on more than one server.

Looking at Figure A, Point 1 indicates the data exchange requirement between service provider and service seeker. Both service provider and service seeker are at different geographical locations working under different programming platforms. Now, service provider hires a software company to create an API so that they can sell that API or provide at no cost to their service seekers.

Basic principles for enabling web services

The below mentioned principles will ensure that data will be available to users without concerning to how data will be used or what sort of end web application is?

Client Side Web Service
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There are various service providers across the world that provides free/paid API to integrate and expand their services. A Web service interface is to be created that acts like a web form to pass the information into a web service and display the results in XML format.

Looking at figure A, point 3 indicates a service seeker take help of any software company to use web service API for data exchange.

We have done projects whereby clients needs to integrate it with their existing systems: