1) self-contained - no additional software is required for WS:
a) client-side: a programming language with XML/HTML client support
b) server-side: a web server and a SOAP server are needed
2) loosely coupled - client and server only knows about messages - a
simple coordination level that allows for more flexible re-configuration
3) web-enabled – WS are published, located and invoked across the web,
using established lightweight Internet standards
4) language-independent and interoperable - client and server may be
implemented in different environments and different languages
composable - WS can be aggregated using workflow techniques to
perform higher-level business functions
6) dynamically bound - with UDDI and WSDL, the discovery and binding of
web services can be automated
7) programmatic access - the web services approach does not provide a
graphical user interface but operates at the command level
8) wrap existing applications - stand-alone applications can easily be
integrated by implementing a web service as an interface
