XML is
not dying, but the economics driving its early efforts are shifting their focus
to increasingly larger pictures.
I
perceive that XML is primarily and increasingly valuable because it has the
relatively low-cost potential to take down barriers (in the mechanisms of
syntax), open up communication (via the Internet medium), and thus
enable the opportunity for better interaction (via the
rules/vocabularies/meanings/behaviors, or semantics) on a particular
subject. All this interaction now requires is human willingness to
interact, as illustrated by efforts towards standardization such as common
lexicons, processes, technologies, and behaviors.
All of
this reflects an inherent drive towards integration between stakeholders in any
subject. This does not just mean "technical" integration such as in the IT
field, but also process integration, product/service integration, structural
integration, cultural integration, and psychological integration.
When looking at the history of information technologies, they are following
the same path towards integration or "federalism" that cultures, countries,
governments, economies, organizations, organizational functions, and functional
processess and technology have followed and continue to follow. A term for
this seemingly instinctive "federalization" goal I've applied over the past
couple of decades is "value-lattice", invoking the image of a multidimensional,
multithreaded lattice of integrated "value-chains" or "supply chains" or
"supplier/customer chains". And this value-lattice manifests first at the
personal, then group, then organizational, then inter-organizational, and then
global levels.
Integration in the "IT" domain has lengthened
its value-chains via:
1)
limited application integration within a functional area,
2)
then integration of all applications within an enterprise functional area,
3)
then integration of simple functional interactions between enterprises as in
electronic data interchange (EDI),
4)
then Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as integration across
key enterprise functions,
5)
then Enterprise Application Integraton (EAI) and its corollary Business
Intelligence (BI) as integration of all enterprise functions and
related market activity,
6)
then Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) integration for
single business functions via the Web,
7)
then Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration of all customer-facing
functions via the Web,
8)
then market-segment integration leading to increasingly
visible "environment to business to consumer" (E2B2B2B2B2C) efforts (as in
i2's services),
9)
then value-lattice integration where the value-chains are interwoven into an
interdependent and far more robust/effective/efficient structure, as
results from the use of my own system designs.
I
perceive that the primary result of all past, present, and future XML,
Web, Java, and similar efforts will be this value-lattice encompassing
all personal and enterprise resources, processes, functions, roles, groups, and
organizations at global and then larger scale.
In
simple terms, everything, everywhere will be integrated via IT, using XML
(content/data and container/metadata), Java (behavior), the Web
(carrier), or similar technologies. It's really just a question of
when and by whom. Thus my intentional use of the title "one world
information system" in describing my concepts, company, web site, and
product/service designs. I intend on providing this value-lattice
mechanism.
Roy
-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew MacKenzie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 8:52 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: IS XML dying?
Anthony,You make some valid points, such as the fact that companies with faulty business models eventually fail ... but we knew that before the XML cult started, right? It is probably not that your trading partners "won't touch XML", its that they can't agree on which vocabulary to standardize on. XML, after all, is just structured text, and I dare to say that they have surely accepted structured text somewhere in their enterprise(s).Is B2C and B2B dying? Think carefully about that question, and don't use the failure of poorly thought out business models enter the equation. B2B is the same as it has always been, maybe there is not enough '<' and '>' in the average B2B transaction...but B2B is still there and remains to be there. B2C will never go away - it is the bedrock of our (western) civilization. You might just as well say that "Capitalism is dying because Amazon.com laid off a bunch of employees.".As a founder of a B2B XML blah blah blah company, I welcome this shakeout. I am not happy about what has happened to the stock market, but I think the market coming back to reality will boost our potential customer's threshold for change. If they see that what is left in the market are companies with a good vision, good solutions to complex problems, and the ability to support their implementation decisions into the future, they will adopt next-generation solutions such as XML messaging and data storage for at least some of their processes. They will feel comfortable addressing the broad problems associated with B2S&MB (Business to Small & Medium Business) in ways that integrate with their legacy B2B applicationsOne last thing: Did you at any stage in your career actually think XML was a magic problem solver?
--
Matthew MacKenzie
VP Research & Development
XML Global Technologies, Inc.-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony Beecher [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: February 8, 2001 4:44 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: IS XML dying?
Sounds like a radical statement, but let me clarify:The dot com world has been gutted. Dot coms are dying left and right. Much of the investment money driving XML initiatives was living on the B2B hype which was younger brother to the B2C. Now B2C is dying and it would seem that B2B is going along with it.
You also see XML initiatives failing, like that Dell hub that shut down the other day.
None of our trading partners are interested in touching XML for another 2 to 3 years until the standards settle. Noone wants to invest in an XML product, because it may be useless next year.
Is the truth finally being shaken out - That XML is not a "Magic Problem Solver" and that the real issue is and always was the differing capabilities of different backend systems?
Anthony Beecher
Manager of Vendor Systems
buy.com
work: 949-389-2246
page: 877-649-8519
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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