The mission of OASIS is to promote and encourage the use of structured information standards such as XML, SGML, and CGM. An important part of this mission is the development of vertical industry applications, conformance tests, interoperability specifications, etc. that make those core standards useable. The XML standards developed under the auspices of W3C, for example, are made much more useful and valuable by the vertical and horizontal applications and interoperability specifications created by OASIS. OASIS does not compete with, but rather builds upon and supplements the work done by standards bodies such as W3C (for XML) or ISO (for SGML). OASIS technical work generally falls into one of the following categories:

• Vertical industry applications: Development of applications of XML or SGML, such as schemas/DTDs, name spaces, style sheets, etc. that may be used in specific vertical industries.
• Horizontal and e-business framework: Development of specifications defining how to build systems for the electronic exchange of business information.
• Interoperability: Development of specifications and standards that define how other standards will work together, or how earlier, non-XML standards can work in an XML world.
• Conformance testing: Development of test scenarios and cases that can determine what it means to conform to specific standards; e.g. what does it really mean to "be XML"?

OASIS has adopted a Technical Committee Process to govern technical work, and provides a vendor-neutral home and an open, democratic process for this work; this gives all interested parties, regardless of their standing in a specific industry, an equal voice in the creation of technical work.

The OASIS technical committee process is:

• Open The OASIS TC process is open to all OASIS members, and the email list archives for TC discussions are visible to the world.
• Accountable OASIS TC work is conducted according to a process that ensures a formal audit trail.
• Democratic The OASIS TC process encourages consensus but retains traditional democratic processes for resolving conflicting views.
• Flexible The OASIS TC process allows multiple entry and exit points as well as flexibility in deliverables.
• Scalable The OASIS TC process is designed to handle any number of technical efforts through a bottom-up approach.
• Language Neutral An OASIS TC may work in a language that best suits the needs of its members.

Any employee of an organization that is a member of OASIS, or any person who holds an individual membership in OASIS, is eligible to participate in OASIS TCs.

Click here for a summary of the TC process and guidelines for operating, setting up, or joining a technical committee, and how committee work becomes an OASIS standard.

Click here for the official OASIS Technical Committee Process document

Click here for a listing of the current OASIS technical committees.