In the world of Web services, the question of the month is about platforms. Does the Web services world resemble the political system of the United States, with a two-party system, or is it a more free-wheeling system of coalitions and multiple interests?

Of course, I'm referring to platforms that are technical, not political, although similarities exist on a political level. This month our focus is on J2EE and .NET as platforms for Web services.

I had my share of discussions as to whether we're talking about Java or J2EE. Some tend to think of Java as a language, and then believe a comparison between Java and C# is appropriate. I think it's truly J2EE as a platform, the totality of the enterprise in Java, that is most comparable to .NET.

Even so, there are notable differences, similar to the differences between Republicans and Democrats. .NET is a platform, but it is also real software. J2EE is a platform, but it is a specification, not software.

That distinction tends to start the fracturing of the idea that Web services is a two-horse race. Look inside J2EE and of course we will see a host of vendors, such as SUN, IBM, and BEA, all trying to distinguish themselves in the next round of the game by offering something unique in Web services.

And then we see the WS-I and we start to realize that maybe we're in a coalition type of system after all. Add to that the entrance of the EAI vendors, the messaging vendors, and other players, and our landscape looks more like the Italian system than any political race in America.

Which is okay, because all of the involved parties have a vested interest in establishing standards. They've put their heads on the block - committing to interoperability at the data level at last. These standards finally allow organizations to overcome the inherent marketing position of platform vendors that their platform is the only platform you should use and all of the incompatibilities are the other platforms' fault.

Truth is, all but the smallest organizations have to use multiple platforms, and the reticence of platform vendors to interoperate and cooperate has cost businesses billions of dollars over the years. So instead of a two-party system with both sides determined to differentiate themselves, we have a group system where interoperability is the cornerstone. Obviously, differentiation will take place, but in the services provided through our standards rather than in the absence.

Not all platforms are equal obviuosly. We have two clear heavyweights in J2EE and .NET, with other contenders such as EAI starting to weigh in. So, even though we're focusing on J2EE and .NET in this issue, we need to recognize that there are more platforms out there. And that no one platform is going to meet all our needs. It's more than a two-horse race.