In Java 6, Sun began shipping a web service stack with the Java SDK.   The stack is the Reference Implementation of JAX-WS, the new JCP standard API for web services.     During our first look at 2.0 last year, we found a few issues with the RI (e.g. no support for compression).  Since then, the folks at Sun have been working with us to make sure that the JAX-WS RI would work seamlessly with the Salesforce.com API.

As of this week, with the release of JAX-WS 2.1, it does.   

Sun was also kind enough to put together a QuickStart package for us, which you can now find over at our Wiki: JAX-WS QuickStart.     Check it out!   

We haven’t run our own tests yet, but the reports we’ve heard on it’s performance so far are promising.    The combination of a high performance web service stack with a standards based API that ships in the JDK has some real appeal.   

If you have any experience working with the JAX-WS RI, we’d love to your hear your thoughts in the comment section below.