Dave,
When you talk about XML standards, the question to ask yourself is do you
require "accredited", "cross-industry", "industry specific", "supply-chain(trade
group) specific", or application specific" standards.
In the area of accredited standards, ANSI ASC X12 is just beginning to do
work with XML. They have formed an XML Task Group that is wrestling with
exactly how that organization should approach developing XML standards.
Meanwhile, several subcommittees within X12 have begun exploratory work with
developing XML schemas. UN/EDIFACT has officially deferred all work on XML
standards pending delivery of ebXML (however there is a move afoot to move
out.on schema development within several D groups).
In the area of cross-industry standards, ebXML currently has the lead. They
are developing a technical framework for XML that although heavily focused on
the technical aspects of exchanges (architecture; transport, routing, packaging;
registryrepository; trading partner agreements) is also doing some work on
harmonizing various business modeling approaches (UN/CEFACT UMM; Rosettanet) and
in using that harmonized business modeling approach to develop syntax neutral
core components that will be the basis for "standardized" XML exchanges. My
assessment is that the technical aspect work will be completed in the announced
18 month ebXML timeframe, and that the business process and core components work
will transition to UN/EDIFACT (Perhaps in partnership with ANSI X12) or some
other international accredited standards body.
In the area of "industry specific" and "supply chain specific" standards, of
course RosettaNet leads the way, with more than 450 other initiatives also
underway. In my view RosettaNet has a view towards becoming a true
cross-industry international XML standards body and certainly bears watching
even for those not involved in the IT and electronics industry supply chains.
OASIS has promise for developing standards, and Jon Bosak has lead an effort to
develop a new standards development methodology. Whether this is successful,
and how many standards efforts will be initiated within OASIS is yet to be
determined.
Not many people consider standards from CommerceOne, Ariba, those developed
within the Biztalk framework, other solutions vendors to be different that
industry or supply chain specific. I tend to categorize them as different
because in many cases they have extended the core XML syntax or developed other
proprietary hooks that although may allow for interoperability with competing
"standards", does not provide full value unless used between trading partners
who employ the parent host application.
Mark
Mark Crawford
Research Fellow
E-business Strategies
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LMI Logistics Management Institute
2000 Corporate Ridge, McLean, VA 22102-7805
(703) 917-7177 Fax (703) 917-7518
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.lmi.org
"Opportunity is what you make of it"
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