How to solve this problem using .NET?

[jeroen]

Question,

I'm in the process of creating a process that should do two things:

1) Connect to a webserver using an encrypted connection and then send an XML
message using the HTTP POST method.
2) Another process is going to connect to my process and is going to do what
i am doing at 1)

My questions are, at 1) what technique do i have to use, how do i set up an
encrypted connection? do i need some sort of certifciate? and what technique
can i use to call a webserver and send a HTTP post method.
At 2) can i use a webservice ? Because in my assumption a webservice uses
SOAP and one of the requirements is that SOAP is not going to be used. In
other words can i create a webservice that not uses SOAP but HTTP post?

Thanks in advance,
Jeroen