At the JavaOne conference in San Francisco this week, Java software makers will attempt to regain ground lost to Microsoft in the emerging market for Web services development tools and technologies.

"Microsoft actually supports what people are calling 'Web services' - SOAP, xML, etc. - better than Java," says Randy Starr, Countermind's director of mobile and wireless solutions practice.

Microsoft, IBM, BEA Systems and Intel on Wednesday are expected to launch a new industry consortium aimed at promoting Web services. The new group--called the Web Services Interoperability ...