Async web services / asp.net 2.0 web parts / Ajax

Hello,

This is more of a design question. I am trying to understand how to use
async web service invocation for asp.net 2.0 web parts with an Ajax
style update / data rendering.

I have a web page with a search box on top & 2 web parts that display
search results using web services. Currently, I am calling these web
services synchronously (which takes a while).

I tried invoking these web services in an async fashion ( using this
excellent article by Fritz Onion
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/is...T/default.aspx
) but my page still reloads to display the results.

I would really like to have the web parts rendered as the results are
returned. I tried using ASP/AJAX (aka Atlas) but could not get it to
work for a function call from the page itself. It only worked in an
Ajax manner for web part events such as a button click event in the web
part itself).

Can someone offer insight / general guidance? I promise to post my
findings if guided in the right direction.

Thanks,

Tg