Proof that Web services are becoming key components of enterprises, can be seen in the latest security release from Forum Systems. Version 4 of its Forum Sentry Web Services Security Gateway, now contains security measures designed to address event-driven applications using XML and Web services.

Unlike earlier versions, this version now protects event-driven applications that deal with exceptions and fluctuations in complex asynchronous software services such as supply chain, financial transactions, and manufacturing.

According to Zapthink LLC, XML traffic on corporate Web sites will grow from 15 percent in 2004 to almost 48 percent in 2008. Web services traffic will dominate XML traffic on the network by the end of 2005.

With event-driven applications, enterprises can move away from hardwired business rules to ones that are both dynamic and corrective, according to the company. For example, business events like the underbooking of an airline flight can trigger a business process that results in a lowering of fares.

"As 2005 proves to be a banner year for SOAs, enterprises will be looking for solutions that provide the broadest possible array of deployment options," said Ron Schmelzer, senior analyst with ZapThink . "Forum Systems provides more than simply a firewall for XML and Web services traffic. With the release of Forum Sentry 4.1, the company provides a wide range of secure Web services capabilities that enable sophisticated enterprise implementations of SOAs."

Since there has been no unanimous consensus among mainstream enterprises on Web services specifications such as WS-Addressing, WS-Eventing, and WS-Notification, companies are trying to leverage existing assets as they move to service oriented architecture (SOA), according to Walid Negm, vice president of product marketing for Forum Systems. "Forum Sentry avoids the 'rip and replace' approach and instead favors extending and enhancing what customers have in place today," he said.

Forum Sentry 4.1 allows for protocol mixing and exchange of business protocols such as ebXML and BPEL, as well as transport protocols such as those in Tibco Rendezvous, IBM WebSphere MessageQueues, http, and FTP. It also allows for management of identities, identifiers and access control in SOAs, and integration with Netegrity, Oblix, RSA, and Tivoli. Content-based routing and service virtualization allows applications and messages to not be tied to a particular end point location.

Forum Sentry 4.1 supports new Web services standards such as SOAP With Attachments, and has continued support for SAML, XML encryption, and XML Digital Signatures.