Orlando, FL; March 13, 2000--The ebXML InitiativeT to create a single global XML framework solution--a joint effort of the United Nation/CEFACT and OASIS-- continued to attract the participation of major industry standards organizations and companies from around the world at its second working meeting in Orlando, FL, USA.

"ebXML may very well prove to be a major event of the new millennium, revolutionizing how business transactions are tracked, affecting worldwide impacts, removing paper from the process, and by empowering people to create whole new work models," said David RR Webber, North American Chair of the XML/EDI Group. Others expressed the belief that the ebXML Initiative is the only chance this decade to establish an international electronic commerce standard.

Participants representing 14 countries, 83 companies, government agencies and several national and international standards organizations extended to nearly 500 by virtual participation. Lending their knowledge and expertise to the ebXML InitiativeT are representatives from IBM, Sun Microsystems, Commerce One, Dun & Bradstreet, Oracle, Visa International, General Motors joined with individuals representing Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and United Kingdom. A full listing of countries, companies and organizations represented is at the end of this document.

The energy and enthusiasm of the on-site participants was evident in all eight Project Teams' efforts. Each project team committed to an aggressive schedule to deliver the components of the ebXMLT framework. Specification components of the ebXMLT Framework to be developed between the Orlando meeting and submitted for approval at the next meeting to be held in Brussels include the following:

• ebXML Requirements Specification
• ebXML Conceptual Architecture Specification
• ebXML Message Structure and Headers Specification
• ebXML Core Components Specification

The work of the ebXML project teams is carried out via extensive listserv discussions and regular teleconferences between each face-to-face meeting. Proposed specifications will be submitted for public comment via the ebXML listserv and the ebXML web site. Participation is open to anyone wishing to contribute to this critical and exciting initiative. Interested organizations and individuals can learn more about the effort, including details on how to get involved, by visiting the ebXML InitiativeT web site at http://www.ebxml.org.

The next meeting is scheduled for 8-12 May 2000, in Brussels, Belgium. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for 7-11 August in the United States and 6-11 November in Tokyo, Japan. Details for the Brussels meeting are now available at the ebXML web site.

About ebXML

ebXML (www.ebXML.org) is an International Initiative established by UN/CEFACT and OASIS with a mandate to undertake a 15-18 month program of work to research and identify the technical basis upon which the global implementation of XML (Extensible Markup Language) can be standardized. The goal is to provide an open technical specification to enable XML to be utilized in a consistent and uniform manner for the exchange of electronic business data in application-to-application, application-to-person and person-to-application environments.

About UN/CEFACT

UN/CEFACT (www.uncefact.org) is the United Nations body whose mandate covers worldwide policy and technical development in the area of trade facilitation and electronic business. Headquartered in Geneva, it has developed and promoted many tools for the facilitation of global business processes including UN/EDIFACT, the international EDI standard. Its current work programme includes such topics as Simpl-edi and Object Oriented EDI and it strongly supports the development and implementation of open, interoperable global standards and specifications for electronic business.

About OASIS

OASIS (http://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 sponsors include Adobe Systems, Aerospatiale, AND-USA, Arbortext, Bentley Systems, Boeing, Bowstreet, Chrystal Software, Cohesia, Commerce One, CommerceNet, CompTIA, Corel, DataChannel, DMSi, Documentum, Dun & Bradstreet, eCredit.com, Enigma, eXcelon, Extricity Software, GCA, Health Level Seven, IBM, InformIT, Informix, InterCAP, Interleaf, Interwoven, ISOGEN, ITEDO, JetForm, Keyfile, Microsoft, NextPage, NII Enterprise Promotion Association, Nimble.com, NIST, Object Management Group (OMG), Open Applications Group, Oracle, Pick Systems, ProNet Technology Partners, Reed Technology, Reuters, Sabre, Sequoia Software, SoftQuad, Software AG, STEP, StreamServe, Sun Microsystems, Synthbank, Wavo, Webb Interactive Services, Whitehill Technologies, Xerox, XMLSolutions and XyEnterprise.

For More Information Contact:

Carol Geyer,
Media Relations Consultant, OASIS
+1 978.667.5115 x209
carol.geyer@oasis-open.org

or

Hans Hansell,
Head UN/CEFACT Secretariat,
+41 22 917 2457
Hans.Hansell@unece.org

ebXML February 2000 Orlando Meeting Participants:

Countries Represented:

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Japan
Netherlands
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

Companies & Organizations Represented:

ACORD Corp
Air Transport Association of America
Apacs
BASDA Ltd.
BizID, Inc.
Bowstreet Software, Inc.
British Telecommunications Plc. (BT)
BT UK Networks Systems Engineering
Burns e-Commerce Solutions
Codan Insurance
Columbine JDS
Comit Financial Systems
Commerce One, Inc.
CommerceNet
CompTia
Cyntercon, Inc.
Danish Bankers Association
Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA)
DataAccess
Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation
Documentum
Drummond Group
Dun & Bradstreet
EAN Intl.
EBES: Secretariat of the European Board for EDI Standardization
ecentre
ecom2ecom, Inc.
EDI Master OY
Edifecs Commerce
Electronic Commerce Connection, Inc.
Electronic Trade Services, Ltd.
enigma
e-Phase Software Solutions, Inc
eProcessSolutions
Extricity Software
FORESIGHT Corp.
GEIS
General Motors
Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV)
Group 8760
H.O.Systems
Head of SDSC Division, CSTB
Hewlett-Packard
I-2 Technologies
IETF/Internet Open Trading
Protocol
JIPDEC, Japan Information Processing Development Center
Kraft Foods, Inc.
Logistics Management Institute
LTV Steel
MMI-AerolinkEC
NACHA
NCR
NEC Corporation
Netfish Technologies
NIST
Northwest Airlines
NTT Amerika, Inc.
OASIS
Object Management Group (OMG)
Open Applications Group, Inc.
Oracle Corporation
POLARIS U.K. Ltd.
Rachel Foerster & Associates
RosettaNet
S.W.I.F.T.
Sabre
Siemens AG EL LP
SPS Commerce
State Farm Insurance Companies
Sterling Commerce (S) Pte Ltd
The Boeing Company
TIE International BV
Tradegate ECA
UCC Inc.
University of Vienna - Institute of Applied Computer Science
UPC University Politics of Spain
Visa International
Vitria Technology
Worldspan
XML Global
XMLSolutions

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