Microsoft Corp claims to have embraced interoperability through work it is doing on implementing remote procedure calls (RPCs) within the World Wide Web Consortium’s Extensible Markup Language (XML). Procedure calls underlie all software, enabling applications to exchange information with the operating system and vice versa. Remote procedure calls extend that capability to the web. Implementing RPCs in XML makes them human-readable and industry standard, important assets for developing interoperable and vendor-neutral software. With uncharacteristic openness, the Redmond software giant is collaborating with Userland Software Inc and training company Developmentor Inc on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) for RPC over XML. Microsoft says existing technologies like COM, CORBA, Java Remote Method Invocation and Apple Events could use SOAP as a lowest common denominator. Vic Gundotra, director of platform marketing at Microsoft, told InfoWorld: We’re committed to interoperate as never before.
