03/29/2004

The International Standards Organization (IS0) has approved a suite of four ebXML OASIS Standards that OASIS says "enable enterprises in any industry, of any size, anywhere in the world to conduct business over the Internet." The submissions from OASIS will be published as ISO technical specifications, ISO/TS 15000.

The new ISO 15000 designation, under the general title, Electronic business eXtensible markup language, includes four parts, each corresponding to one of ebXML's modular suite of standards:

• ISO 15000-1: ebXML Collaborative Partner Profile Agreement



• SO 15000-2: ebXML Messaging Service Specification



• ISO 15000-3: ebXML Registry Information Model



• ISO 15000-4: ebXML Registry Services Specification

Until now, explains OASIS, “the technology available for most businesses to exchange data was electronic data interchange (EDI), which made significant contributions to productivity and inventory control. Many companies, however, find EDI expensive and difficult to implement. The ebXML initiative, using the economies of scale presented by the Internet, breaks through these obstacles.

“ebXML provides companies with a standard method to exchange business messages, conduct trading relationships, communicate data in common terms and define and register business processes. It aims to make it easier for organizations to interface with others within and outside their industry, open up new markets with less effort than before and, at the same time, cut costs and simplify process associated with traditional document exchange.”

"ISO/TS 15000 underscores the importance of partnership between ISO and standards-developing organizations as OASIS to craft a common set of standards and reflects the international community's recognition of the importance of ebXML in enabling electronic business," said Alan Bryden, ISO Secretary-General. "We applaud the developers of ebXML within OASIS and the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) for their contributions to open trade data interchange and harmonization."

"ISO approval is a gratifying endorsement of both ebXML and the OASIS open standards process," noted Patrick Gannon, president and CEO of OASIS. "ISO designation makes the already widely adopted ebXML standards even more accessible to adopters--particularly those implementing business solutions for governments--who look to ISO for assurance of long term viability."

John Borras, Director Technology Policy, U.K. Office of the e-Envoy, characterized the ISO approval as "a milestone for domestic and international electronic trade. Government agencies, users, and trade organizations can specify ebXML compliance with even greater confidence."

ISO is made up of 148 national standards institutes from countries large and small, industrialized and developing, in all regions of the world. ISO develops voluntary technical standards which contribute to making industrial production and supply more efficient, safer and cleaner, and to making trade between countries easier and fairer. ISO standards also serve to safeguard consumers and users in general of products and services, as well as to make their lives simpler.

OASIS is the not-for-profit, global consortium that drives the development, convergence, and adoption of e-business standards. Members themselves set the OASIS technical agenda, using a lightweight, open process expressly designed to promote industry consensus and unite disparate efforts. OASIS produces worldwide standards for Web services, security, conformance, business transactions, and interoperability within and between marketplaces. Founded in 1993, OASIS has more than 3,000 participants representing over 600 organizations and individual members in 100 countries.