International XML Consortium Contributes to Internet Standardization Forum

Washington, DC, July 19, 1999-OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, has agreed to participate in a focus group on Internet Standardization and E-Commerce organized by the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The focus group, which will be held at the White House Conference Center in Washington, DC on Tuesday, July 20, will examine how changing technological, market, and legal environments are affecting the development of standards for the Internet, electronic commerce and knowledge management.

"This focus group will assess the health and requirements of standards activities, projecting the key features of the global standards landscape over the next five to seven years. We will gauge the effects of the rapid growth of electronic commerce and Internet services on standards development and identify the implications for national and international policy, including competition, antitrust and intellectual property law," said Laura Walker, executive director of OASIS. "Through this dialog, the OSTP seeks to understand the significant political and institutional trends for industry alliances, consortia, and standards organizations and whether and how the government should engage in these standards activities."

"As the only vendor-neutral, international consortium dedicated to advancing structured information standards such as XML, OASIS brings a unique perspective to this forum," said Walker. "The Consortium's work continues to complement that of international standards bodies, such as the W3C, with a focus on making these standards easy to adopt, and practical to use in real-world, open system applications."

OASIS (www.oasis-open.org) is a non-profit, international consortium dedicated solely to product-independent data and content interchange. Focusing on product interoperability, OASIS embraces the complete spectrum of structured information standards including XML, SGML and CGM. OASIS operates XML.org (www.xml.org), the first global XML industry portal featuring the XML Registry and Repository that offers automated public access to XML schemas for electronic commerce, business-to-business transactions, and tools and application interoperability. OASIS sponsors include Adobe Systems, AND-USA, Arbortext, Bentley Systems, Chrystal Software, Compaq, DataChannel, DMSi, Documentum, Dun & Bradstreet, Enigma, GCA, IBM, Inso, InterCAP, Interleaf, Interwoven, ISOGEN, ITEDO, Keyfile, Larson Software, Microsoft, NextPage, NIST, Object Design, POET Software, Reed Technology, Reuters, Sabre, SoftQuad, Software AG, STEP, Sun Microsystems, Synthbank, System Development, Wavo, Xerox, XyEnterprise and Zeh Graphics Systems.

For more information:
Carol Geyer
OASIS
Geyer@oasis-open.org
+1.412.963-1479

###