The proposed specifications describe how companies can establish policies on exchanging information among trading partners and how to make disparate security systems interoperate. IBM and Microsoft co-authored the specifications with input from a limited number of companies, including BEA Systems, RSA Security and VeriSign.

The companies will incorporate industry feedback and submit the specification to a standards body early next year, executives said.

Although security is often called a stumbling block to the adoption of Web services, companies can already secure such applications using established products and processes. The proposed standards, if they become accepted among IT providers, would simply make it easier to incorporate secured communications and to establish policies.

[ Read more ]