"[The new version] allows you to support any different number of security tokens," he said. "Your lowest level of Web service only has to understand one type of security token."

The Turlock, Calif.-based nonprofit health care informatics organization is now using Version 4.3 of AmberPoint's Web services management tools to monitor the performance of Web services that process data changes customers make over the Internet, Mercado said.

MedicAlert lets customers update via the Internet the health histories contained on MedicAlert USB devices that attach to key chains. As users update their information, internal Web services spread the data to multiple systems, including order processing, billing and a medical information repository, Mercado added.

AmberPoint's updated tool includes policy management enhancements that allow companies to address issues such as security for large groups of services instead of one service at a time, said Ed Horst, vice president of marketing at the Oakland, Calif.-based vendor.

Mindreef plans to unveil a server-based product called Mindreef Coral that's designed to act as a hub housing Web service data. The hub allows development team members to cooperatively govern, test and support Web services, said Frank Grossman, president and founder of the Hollis, N.H.-based company.