Apache expands Web services reach | CNET News.com

Apache expands Web services reach | CNET News.com: "The Apache Software Foundation is expected to launch on Monday an open-source integration server project, part of a bigger effort to create a full suite of Web services infrastructure software.
Called Apache Synapse, the proposed project will create server software that processes XML documents as they travel between two machines.
Called a 'Web services broker' or an enterprise service bus (ESB), Synapse will be designed to perform tasks such as translating between different XML document formats and routing information based on its contents. The initial code for the project will be donated by integration software vendor Sonic Software and Web services management company Infravio.
By itself, the Synapse software is not an alternative to full-featured commercial ESBs, a loosely defined term for integration software based on standards, including Web services protocols. "