if you're just sending a bit of random XML in the SOAP payload (Body) and don't use security or any other SOAP things, then indeed SOAP is nothing but noise. So if you want security, reliability etc., you need SOAP (or invent your own version->good luck).
POX is different from REST in that the latter refers to a style for communication protocols, while the former only refers to an information format style. REST could be seen as POX over HTTP with some pecularities.
Plain Old XML
(POX) is a term used to describe basic
, sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like
,
,
and
. People typically use the term as a contrast with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those fo