Rachel is absolutely correct, ebXML is definitely not an anti-Microsoft
effort. In fact I have several months worth of e-mails that were sent from
me to various people within Microsoft offering to work together in
developing a single E-commerce standard as part of the ebXML TR&P effort to
create an XML transport standard (in other words CONVERGE Microsoft's
BizTalk/SOAP efforts with ebXML to create one standard). In every one of
these exchanges Microsoft has chosen not to participate in a "converged"
effort.
Nobody has prevented Microsoft from participating in ebXML EXCEPT Microsoft.
Recently, there were some positive signs. Some people in Microsoft have
suggested the possibility for cooperation within the context of the W3C XML
Protocols Activity. ebXML's Transport Routing and Packaging group has
created a liaison position to work with the W3C XML Protocols Activity. I'm
hopeful the W3C XML Protocols Activity could provide all parties with a
level playing field from which convergence may be allowed to grow/flourish.
The W3C XML Protocols Activity has yet to begin and the clock is ticking.
Each moment that passes with the groups developing down separate paths is
another step farther apart.
Dick Brooks
Group 8760
110 12th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
205-250-8053
Fax: 205-250-8057
http://www.8760.com/
InsideAgent - Empowering e-commerce solutions
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rachel Foerster [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 6:36 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Cc: 'Klaus-Dieter Naujok'; 'Robert S. Sutor'; 'Duane Nickull'
> Subject: RE: Microsoft, UDDI and ebXML - Open Letter.
>
>
> All,
>
> I think it's extremely important to emphasize that the ebXML
> Initiative was
> NOT and is NOT an anti-Microsoft effort. Many of us participating in ebXML
> want and have encouraged Microsoft to join with us....even to the extent
> that the ebXML Executive Leadership requested a meeting with/and has met
> with senior management at Microsoft to encourage their participation.
>
> The mission of ebXML is very simple: To provide an open XML-based
> infrastructure enabling the global use of electronic business
> information
> in an interoperable, secure and consistent manner by all parties.
>
> Some of the reasons why ebXML exists are:
>
> Traditional EDI adoption growing
> Rate of adoption decreasing
> XML/Internet e-commerce applications increasing
> Many vendor schemes for near-verbatim EDI-to-XML message translation
> emerging
> Traditional EDI vendors want to grow EDI market share while transitioning
> customers to interface with new XML representations of business objects
> Need for a common message structure and syntax so that
> industry-specific XML
> vocabularies will interoperate
> No business communicates solely in its supply chain
> Must be able to exchange messages with those outside their industry
> boundaries
>
> The value of the ebXML Framework and how it's being developed includes:
>
> Provides the only globally developed open XML-based Standard
> built on a rich
> heritage of electronic business experience
> Creates a Single Global Electronic Market
> Enables all parties irrespective of size to engage in Internet-based
> electronic business
> Provides for plug and play shrink-wrapped solutions
> Enables parties to
> complement and extend current EC/EDI investment
> expand electronic business to new and existing trading partners
> Facilitates convergence of current and emerging XML efforts
>
> I hope this puts to bed the perception that ebXML is just an
> anti-Microsoft/anti-Biztalk effort. 'Tain't so!
>
> Rachel
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David RR Webber [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 7:44 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Cc: Klaus-Dieter Naujok; XML/edi Group; Robert S. Sutor; Duane Nickull
> Subject: RE: Microsoft, UDDI and ebXML - Open Letter.
>
>
> James,
>
> Thanks for the excellent response. I like you sailing analogy
> much better - that is indeed the right assessment.
>
> Let me state here that one half of ebXML is founded in EDI, and
> that over the years X12 and EDIFACT have achieved a very
> high degree of vendor neutral stance. This is primarily because
> the USER organizations own and drive the process - and the
> vendors then get to deliver what the businesses see as requirements.
>
> If I thought for one moment that ebXML was ultimately headed anywhere
> other than being in the same space, supported by the same
> organizations, then I would not be supporting it as hard as I am.
>
> Like the UDDI team we are all sacrificing our own company and
> private time - because all this work is so pivotal at this point in
> space and time.
>
> I am deeply heartened by your offer to meet and resolve the
> issues between us. I will coordinate this with Klaus-Dieter Naujok as
> I believe Klaus is the appropriate person here, and he is also based
> close by in San Francisco; and we'll make sure the right people for
> the ebXML side are also there.
>
> Many thanks, DW. 301-482-2597.
> ==============================================================
>
> Message text written by James Utzschneider
> Hello David --
>
> Thank you for writing, I appreciate your letter. Being a sailor, I do not
> think your analogy is appropriate. Although I haven't really
> followed ebXML
> for the last 8 months, I view your effort as more of a "chart"
> than a ship.
> Customer applications are the ships, vendors provide the material, and
> standards bodies prevent pilots from foundering on the rocks.
>
> I certainly do not feel like going back to my team -- and the
> UDDI teams at
> IBM and Ariba -- and tell them they have sacrificed their weekends and
> dinners with their families for the last 4 months in order to build a
> rudder!
>
> But I must confess that I have not paid much attention to ebXML this year.
> Participants in ebXML told me that your effort was founded in part as a
> counter to Microsoft's BizTalk initiative. Because of that, we haven't
> been
> interested in joining. We have experience working with "standards bodies"
> that operate under an anti-Microsoft bias, and every time we work with
> them,
> we get burned. More importantly, our customers get burned. Look at what
> happened to CORBA, which transitioned from being a standards body
> Microsoft
> helped create to being a standards body that worked against us. Customers
> became confused, and object interoperability never happened.
>
> I do not want to see this occur in commerce. That is why we designed into
> the UDDI project a 12 to 18 month window to determine how we
> transition our
> work to a standards body. And because UDDI is a jointly-run
> project, it is
> certainly not my or Microsoft's decision to make any unilateral
> announcements about a potential merger with a standards effort.
>
> Nevertheless, I am willing to talk. It is clear that you guys are doing
> some good work. Perhaps our views of the intentions of ebXML are wrong,
> perhaps your effort has changed. Let's set up a meeting in the next few
> weeks, I will make sure the right people from Microsoft are there this
> time.
>
> Regards,
>
> James<
>
>
>
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