[FYI] XML business framework

["Axel H Horns" <horns@t-online.de>]

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 1999.  

Record Control Number: 14091  

Date: 1999-12-16  

Category: Miscellaneous  

General Information:  

The United Nations body for Trade Facilitation and Electronic 
Business (UN/CEFACT) and the Organisation for the Advancement of 
Structured Information Standards (OASIS), have joined forces to 
initiate a worldwide project to standardise XML business 
specifications.  

XML (Extensible Mark up Language) offers exciting new opportunities 
for the exchange of business data, allowing computers to do a great 
deal of processing on the spot. The combination of more efficient 
processing, more accurate searching and more flexible linking is set 
to revolutionise business on the Internet.  

The Electronic Business XML Working Group is a joint initiative set 
up to develop a technical framework that will enable XML to be 
utilised in a consistent manner for the exchange of all electronic 
business data.  

Industry groups currently working on XML specifications are invited 
to participate in the 18-month project, the results of which will be 
placed on both organisations' websites.  

'To be effective for global business, it is vital that XML 
specifications are based on a common framework,' explained Bill 
Smith, president of OASIS. 'That framework does not exist today and, 
consequently, there are many - often competing - efforts underway 
worldwide. This new Electronic Business XML Initiative will end the 
confusion and duplication of effort that currently exists.'  

Ray Walker, chairman of the UN/CEFACT Steering Group added, 'This is 
good news especially for small and medium-sized companies, developing 
countries and economies in transition. In the long term, this 
initiative will contribute to the growth of world trade.'  

The Electronic Business XML Initiative will be led by Klaus-Dieter 
Naujok of the Harbinger Corporation, a senior member of the UN/CEFACT 
Steering committee, and Dr Robert S. Sutor of IBM, the Chief Strategy 
Officer of OASIS.  

Data Source Provider: El pub  

Document Reference: OASIS press release.  

Subject Index Codes: Information Processing, Information Systems  

                    Contact Person:

                    For further information please contact: 

                    UN/CEFAT: http://www.unece.org/cefat/ 
                    OASIS: http://www.oasis-open.org/ 
                    XML.org: http://www.xml.org/