SAML is being applied in a number of different ways, one of which is security Web services.

SAML assertions can be used within SOAP messages in order to carry security and identity information between actors in Web service transactions. The SAML Token Profile developed by the OASIS WS-Security TC specifies how SAML assertions should be used for this purpose. The Liberty Alliance's Identity Web Service Framework (ID-WSF) also uses SAML assertions as the base security token for enabling secure and privacy-respecting access to Web services.

See also:

- SAML Executive Overview
- SAML Technical Overview