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SOAP is an XML based protocol that describes the exchange of structured information between web services. The protocol is maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). SOAP is more flexible in its delivery and definition than its enterprise level sibling, BPEL. While WSDL can be used to define SOAP web services, those definition are not required nor is the transport protocol (HTTP, SMTP, etc.) defined in the SOAP standard. Startech recommends SOAP when flexibility and rapid application development are a priority. As the original accronym Simple Object Access Protocol (retired in version 1.2) suggests, SOAP is best suited for developing small to medium sized web services and exposing legacy systems as web services. Learn how SOAP can help your business |