Messaging
Most companies interested in ebXML will probably start with the messaging functions that enable companies to send and receive business data in a standard envelope-and-message format. The ebXML messages use a specification called the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). SOAP is an XML application that defines a message format with headers to indicate sender, receiver, routing, and security details. A recent enhancement to SOAP allows for the attachment of any digitized content, which enables ebXML messages to send engineering drawings or patient X-rays, as well as business data.