This chapter introduces web services and their role in Microsoft's vision of the programmable Web. It highlights the shortcomings of current distributed application architectures, which are often monolithic and difficult to integrate and extend. The chapter also discusses the evolution of internet programming, drawing parallels with the early days of desktop applications and the introduction of COM (Component Object Model) technology. COM revolutionized application development by allowing developers to create reusable components that could be integrated across different programming environments, reducing the need for monolithic applications and facilitating better integration and reusability.This chapter introduces web services and their role in Microsoft's vision of the programmable Web. It highlights the shortcomings of current distributed application architectures, which are often monolithic and difficult to integrate and extend. The chapter also discusses the evolution of internet programming, drawing parallels with the early days of desktop applications and the introduction of COM (Component Object Model) technology. COM revolutionized application development by allowing developers to create reusable components that could be integrated across different programming environments, reducing the need for monolithic applications and facilitating better integration and reusability.