Organizations are adopting Web services at an unprecedented rate. IT departments are using Web services to integrate disparate applications inside the firewall, to allow application logic to be reused across development groups and to securely connect to business partners. The tools and technology for building and deploying Web services are readily available. Developers can easily create SOAP interfaces for their existing Java™ and C/C++ applications within a matter of minutes. Even legacy systems can be easily Web service-enabled, exposing functionality as SOAP interfaces for reuse in new applications. A Web Service is programmable application logic accessible using standard Internet protocols. Web Services combine the best aspects of component-based development and the Web. Like components, Web Services represent functionality that can be easily reused without knowing how the service is implemented. Unlike current component technologies which are accessed via proprietary protocols, Web Services are accessed via ubiquitous Web protocols (ex: HTTP) using universally-accepted data formats (ex: XML).