Short for
Simple Object Access Protocol, a lightweight
XML-based messaging
protocol used to encode the information in
Web service request and response messages before sending them over a
network. SOAP messages are independent of any
operating system or protocol and may be transported using a variety of Internet protocols, including
SMTP,
MIME, and
HTTP.
Also see Understanding "Web
Services" in the "Did
You Know...?" section of Webopedia.