WEB SERVICES INTERMEDIARY

1 . A computer implemented method for providing web services to applications, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one request for at least one web service from at least one application, each received request being associated with an application ID/key pair;

un-associating at least one received request from its application ID/key pair, and associating it with an appropriate, genuine, web service ID/key pair;

transmitting at least one request to at least one web service;

receiving at least one response from at least one web service; and

transmitting at least one received response to an appropriate application.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for at least one received request, determining whether that received request originates from a legitimate application that is authorized to make the request; and

performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

responsive to determining that the originating application is authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, not transmitting a corresponding request to a web service;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application; and

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating at least one application ID/key pair; and

assigning at least one generated application ID/key pair to at least one application.

4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

generating and assigning one application ID/key pair per application; and

generating and assigning one application ID/key pair per application per web service.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering at least one received request.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein filtering at least one received request further comprises performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

repackaging a received request;

resigning a received request;

reformatting a received request;

encrypting a received request;

compressing a received request;

redacting a received request;

adding data to a received request;

scanning a received request for malicious code; and

screening a received request for content.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering at least one received response.

8 . The method of claim 8 wherein filtering at least one received response further comprises performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

repackaging a received response;

resigning a received response;

reformatting a received response;

encrypting a received-response;

compressing a received response;

redacting a received response;

adding data to a received response;

scanning a received response for malicious code; and

screening a received response for content.

9 . At least one computer readable medium containing a computer program product for providing web services to applications, the computer program product comprising:

program code for receiving at least one request for at least one web service from at least one application, each received request being associated with an application ID/key pair;

program code for un-associating at least one received request from its application ID/key pair, and associating it with an appropriate, genuine, web service ID/key pair;

program code for transmitting at least one request to at least one web service;

program code for receiving at least one response from at least one web service; and

program code for transmitting at least one received response to an appropriate application.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program code for, for at least one received request, determining whether that received request originates from a legitimate application that is authorized to make the request; and

program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

responsive to determining that the originating application is authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, not transmitting a corresponding request to a web service;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application; and

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program code for generating at least one application ID/key pair; and

program code for assigning at least one generated application ID/key pair to at least one application.

12 . The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

generating and assigning one application ID/key pair per application; and

generating and assigning one application ID/key pair per application per web service.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program code for filtering at least one received request.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the program code for filtering at least one received request further comprises program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

repackaging a received request;

resigning a received request;

reformatting a received request;

encrypting a received request;

compressing a received request;

redacting a received request;

adding data to a received request;

scanning a received request for malicious code; and

screening a received request for content.

15 . The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program code for filtering at least one received response.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code for filtering at least one received response further comprises program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

repackaging a received response;

resigning a received response;

reformatting a received response;

encrypting a received response;

compressing a received response;

redacting a received response;

adding data to a received response;

scanning a received response for malicious code; and

screening a received response for content.

17 . A computer system for providing web services to applications, the computer system comprising:

means for receiving at least one request for at least one web service from at least one application, each received request being associated with an application ID/key pair;

means for un-associating at least one received request from its application ID/key pair, and associating it with an appropriate, genuine, web service ID/key pair;

means for transmitting at least one request to at least one web service;

means for receiving at least one response from at least one web service; and

means for transmitting at least one received response to an appropriate application.

18 . The computer system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for, for at least one received request, determining whether that received request originates from a legitimate application that is authorized to make the request; and

means for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

responsive to determining that the originating application is authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, not transmitting a corresponding request to a web service;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, and receiving a response and transmitting it to an application;

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring and modifying a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application; and

responsive to determining that the originating application is not authorized to make the request, configuring a corresponding request and transmitting it to a web service, receiving a response, and modifying the response and transmitting it to an application.

19 . The computer system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for generating at least one application ID/key pair; and

means for assigning at least one generated application ID/key pair to at least one application.

20 . The computer system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for filtering at least one received request; and

means for filtering at least one received response.