A Web service is a collection of protocols and standards used for exchanging data between applications. Software applications written in various programming languages and running on various platforms can use World Wide Web services to exchange data over computer networks like the Internet. This interoperability (eg. between Java programming language and Python programming language, or Windows and GNU Linux applications) is due to the use of open standards. OASIS_(organization) and the World Wide Web Consortium are the steering committees responsible for the architecture and standardization of web services. To improve interoperability between web service implementations, the WS-I organisation has been developing a series of profiles to further define the standards involved.