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Is SOAP a Web Protocol?

SOAP 1.1 over HTTP

• requires use of HTTP's POST method
• can't be used with HTTP's GET, PUT or DELETE methods
• precludes use of URI based caching for HTTP requests

Use of POST request for RPC hides inside request

• name of remote procedure
• arguments for remote procedure call

Web cache can't tell from URI if SOAP RPC call to same URI is for

• same request to same service
• different request to same service

SOAP's XML based RPC and messaging

• is not built around use of hyperlinks
• only passes XML unlike web which passes any MIME type
• cannot be natively exercised by existing web browsers
• can be passed but not understood by existing web proxies
• requires use of specially adapted web servers

SOAP differences from web are shown by its invention of

• different transfer protocol
• different caching, security, routing, batching standards

In what sense then can SOAP services be called web services?