Standardization status: XML-based messaging framework
  - Started in September 1999 by the XML Protocol Working
  Group
 
  - Problem addressed: rich and extensible communication between agents
 
  - Many proposals, using SOAP 1.1 as the basis
 
  - More than 400 issues addressed
 
  - Result: SOAP 1.2
    
      - Protocol independent (based on XML Infoset, bindings)
 
      - Powerful extension model (features)
 
      - Lot of work on interoperability
 
    
   
  - SOAP 1.2 is a Proposed
    Recommendation (7 May 2003)
 
  - Recommendation expected in the very near future