IDC forecasts the North America Web Services Professional Services spending is soon to break the billion-dollar mark , and while some significant block of this is likely vanishing into stacked consulting sold to the unwary buyers who may not understand the RPC/REST distinction, when you are talking 10-figure spending, there's also a lot of big endorsement and ROI proofs going on.

"As the North America Web services-based professional services market passes the billion-dollar mark at the end of the year, services companies will formalize their offerings around Web services and further enhance their methodologies," said Sophie Mayo, director for Web Services Implementations and Dynamic Commerce Services at IDC. "The track record that services vendors built in 2002 will be a catalyst for ensuring the projected triple-digit growth."

IDC's study reveals that systems integration services are the largest opportunity for services firms, with over $500 million to be spent by the end of 2003. In 2004, the opportunity will increase by 157%, totaling $1.3 billion.

In an evaluation of adoption of Web services by company size, IDC believes that in 2003, large companies will account for almost 72% of the opportunity; however spending by small and medium-sized enterprises will increase over the years. In 2007, small and medium-sized enterprises will spend approximately $3 billion, or 40% of the total estimated opportunity.

The full for-fee IDC report claims to offer the skinny on how consulting companies can get some fingers into these pies, and those spending their cash on that report will likely be adding to this expenditure projection, but I'll wager there's not a single line in there about RESTwiki.
[Source: WebServices.Org]