Web services allow applications running in heterogeneous platforms and languages to interact and exchange data with each other. In a web services system, each application uses an interface to translate the information from the application to the web server. For example, SQL Anywhere can send and receive web service requests through its own built-in web services server or through external web servers. This functionality enables other applications to access information stored inside SQL Anywhere databases. Web services are also used in service-oriented architectures (SOAs).

SQL Anywhere mobile web services extend your web services to mobile environments. Mobile web services combine the functionality and benefits of web services with SQL Anywhere leading mobile technology. With mobile web services, you can use mobile applications to make web service requests—even when the applications are offline—and have those requests queued for transmission later. Mobile web services use QAnywhere messaging technology to assure delivery of the requests and responses. This means that you can concentrate on developing and accessing the web service as you would in a connected environment. QAnywhere simplifies the transmission, authentication, and serialization of requests and responses in mobile environments.

In addition, mobile web services include the following characteristics:

Use mobile web services when:

See Mobile web services.