First, Web services by definition is a subset of and complement to traditional middleware, rather than a mutually exclusive technology.

As an example of how makers of middleware integration technologies are trying to reposition themselves for the Web services SOA world, Schmelzer pointed to the new product roadmap announced this week ...

Plus, Web services wrappers let enterprise developers create simple app-to-app connections without using commercial middleware at all. Not that MOM vendors appear seriously threatened.

API Consumption Versus API Gateways The early days of microservices saw API gateways, a familiar technology, mediating communication between internal services (East-West traffic).