KOM has four separate layers: messaging, transformation and formatting, business process and workflow, and knowledge-orientation.
The messaging level is made up of traditional message-oriented middleware products and provides a transportation mechanism for messages to and from all of the source and target systems.
The transformation and formatting layer provides message-brokering capability, providing for the reformatting of information as it's being moved from one system to another.
The business process and workflow layer provides a modeling tool and mechanism that defines how information is moved throughout and between enterprises and how the movement of information relates to business events.
Finally, the knowledge-orientation layer provides a memory of expert behavior to the middleware, allowing the middleware to retain "experiences" as well as reuse industry-specific experiences built within the knowledge-oriented layer prior to installation (a knowledge base).