Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is the standard developers must use for Web services orchestration, but it is a limited standard and will eventually be subordinated to Web Services Choreography Description Language (WS-CDL), argues Chris Howard, the Burton vice president who authored the report.

Asked if the choreography standard could be used in upcoming service-oriented architecture projects, his answer characterized the dilemma: "WS-CDL is further down the pike. BPEL is the 'best available,' as long as developers have their eyes wide open to the limitations."

BPEL's limitations are covered at length in Howard's detailed report, "Crossing the Divide: The Mechanics of Process Execution."