Cross-platform integration with XML and SOAP

The current rage for middleware has provided tremendous opportunities for those who love to build complex distributed software applications. Interoperability is no longer a fringe movement; it's become mainstream. The big three-Microsoft, IBM, and Sun Microsystems-are now investing considerable resources into interoperability research. I tackle the abstract concept of software interoperability and how the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) can assist in integrating business applications. Together with the concept of Web services, these standards could provide an alternative to what organizations do today: rely on the batch export of data to integrate software applications.