The system and methods of the present invention provide a processing function that is useful for controlling any type of transaction between providers and consumers of information services. The invention provides a transaction framework that dynamically integrates a plurality of service providers and consumers based on transaction context data. Transactions between services are described using a transaction definition. A transaction definition specifies the details of the transaction using a uniform specification model, where services are classified through a standardized taxonomic structure. The processing function analyzes service classification during a transaction to determine the appropriate configuration and processing strategy.