Island Get-a-way is an all-inclusive hotel chain with properties in Negril, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio. Island Get-a-way executives believed that implementation of a new web services platform was critical to allow clients increased flexibility in how they access transactions.

Currently the IT function is largely decentralized with each property having dedicated IT staff and equipment. Each property is expected to support the operations on property including check-in, check out, billing for guests, scheduling of housekeeping and running the restaurants and bars on property

Some areas are centralized such as:

providing email across all properties including its head office

a corporate web site

Customer Relationship Management System

Reservation are also handled centrally with support provided internally to the organization's reservation agents and to select travel agents by way of the organization's extranet.

The hotel chain, in an effort to provide direct access to its clients, recently embarked on a project to allow potential clients to make reservations via its web site. A key part of the implementation involves using a web services architecture allowing for the definition of common services for all of its interactions with internal and external parties that might want to do transactions with the hotel. External entities would include brokers such as Orbitz and Hotel.com, travel agents and retail customers.

In answering the questions following, make sure to use the information provided in the case along with your own insights as a basis for your responses. Marks will be awarded for answers that fully explore the issues raised.

a. Name three services (at least one from legacy systems) that you think the web services architecture could provide. Be sure to use business terms for these SOA services. [6 marks]

c. List software applications (at least 3) that could use these services [3 marks]

d. Give examples of entities (at least 3) that would use these applications [3 marks].

Do not take too long...