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Mark Lucovsky, Hailstorm architect for Microsoft, said:
Programmers have to develop a deep knowledge of Extensible Markup Language (XML), the basis of all Web services, he said. They have to become less reliant on application programming interfaces and other common tools that can simplify application development but can tie software to proprietary computing environments rather than making it available to all kinds of systems, which is the entire premise of Web services.
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He also encouraged attendees to consider when building Web services whether to program to an object-centric or XML-centric model. One pitfall to look out for in the object-centric path is how to obtain extensibility when you are programming at a high level, he said.

The primary skill a workforce needs is a deep understanding of XML, particularly name spaces and versioning. "The big thing we had to deal with [at Microsoft] was learning and embracing XML," Lucovsky said. "XML is more difficult than people think."
from CNET and InfoWorld