(October 15, 2002) - Sonic Software has contributed standards-based enterprise-class SOAP messaging capabilities to Apache Axis, the next generation of Apache SOAP 2.0. With the acceptance of source code for inclusion in Apache Axis 1.0, Sonic delivers its asynchronous Web services expertise to the largest open-source Web application community.

Sonic's submission, which provides a fundamentally more reliable messaging transport infrastructure for SOAP, will help accelerate Web service adoption. Sonic's contributions will provide the first asynchronous capabilities to the core Apache Axis engine. This enables SOAP messages to travel over JMS-based transport as an alternative to HTTP for Web services communications, making these communications reliable. The asynchronous function is a move beyond the tightly coupled RPC-style interactions that typify early Web services implementations. Loosely coupled, service-oriented interactions enable IT organizations to implement higher levels of availability, eliminating the problem of a single point of failure.

"Asynchronous processing is key to creating a foundation for flexible, cost-effective integration networks," said Dave Chappell, vice president and chief technology evangelist for Sonic Software. "Sonic's commitment to the Apache development community will help shape the future of enterprise-capable Web services."