The World Wide Web (WWW) service uses the Hypertext Transport Protocol. HTTP is implemented through an interface to Windows Sockets. Internet Information Server version 2.0 (included with Windows NT Server version 4.0) supports HTTP version 1.0.
The Hypertext Transport Protocol is an application-level protocol. HTTP is a distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information system that has been in use since 1990. HTTP technology has enabled what most commonly refer to as the World Wide Web.
HTTP grew out of a need for a universal protocol to simplify the way users access Internet information. HTTP is generic, stateless, and object oriented. It can be used for many tasks, such as name servers and distributed object management systems, through extension of its request methods (commands). Because HTTP types and negotiates data representation, systems based on it can be built independently of the data being transferred.
The current specification reflects common usage of the protocol referred to as HTTP/1.0, and is the basis for the information in this section.
Discussion and improvement of the HTTP standard is ongoing. You can find extensive information about HTTP at the Internet address http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/.