FPGA-Based Web Services -- Infinite Potential or a Road to Nowhere?

Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology could have significant potential in the construction of Web services, but it generates multiple issues that software and hardware designers must overcome first. As a Web service hardware platform, the FPGA could be an experimental yet interesting and powerful alternative to standard solutions based on microprocessors and microcontrollers. Here, the authors share their thoughts about the possibility of using FPGA chips to implement environment-aware embedded Web services.