This document provides an introduction and overview of web services. It begins by defining what a service is from both a business and technical perspective. It then discusses what web services are, how they differ from traditional client-server models, and their key characteristics. The document outlines some common web service specifications including SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI. It provides examples of how these specifications work together to enable web services. Finally, it discusses trends in web services adoption and some myths surrounding web services.