What does SOAP Stand for?

The correct answer is Simple Object Access Protocol, which is a protocol used for exchanging structured information in the implementation of web services. SOAP allows programs running on various operating systems to communicate with each other over the internet by using XML to encode messages and HTTP or SMTP for the transmission.

This protocol is designed to be platform and language agnostic, making it versatile and widely adopted for services that require high security and transactional reliability. It creates standards that enable different applications to interact seamlessly, thus becoming a foundational component in developing interoperable web services.

The other choices do not accurately reflect what SOAP stands for and do not capture its primary function or purpose in web services communication.