Proof-of-Concept Demo with Thirteen Vendors Proves Readiness of Electronic Business Infrastructure

San Francisco, CA; December 12, 2000-- The United Nations CEFACT and OASIS today announced that the core technical infrastructure of ebXML, the Electronic Business XML Initiative, nears completion and will be delivered in March 2001, two months ahead of schedule. The technical specifications for the transport, routing and packaging (TRP), trading partner agreements (TPA), and registry/repository (REG/REP) components of ebXML provide the required pieces to ensure interoperability based on XML standards for global business on the Internet.

Enterprises are demanding a standards-based framework for global trading, and developers are demanding the availability of an open, business-quality architecture that they can begin evaluating and implementing now. Progress on the 18-month ebXML initiative has been so substantial, organizers agreed to move the delivery date forward to meet this demand. At a recent ebXML meeting in Tokyo, hundreds of organizations from Asia, Australia, Europe and North America gathered to advance the development of ebXML. As a highlight of this meeting and a ratification of this decision, sixteen companies collaborated in an interactive proof-of-concept demonstration of the ebXML technical infrastructure.

"The ebXML specifications for transport, routing and packaging, trading partner agreements and registry/repository are stable and ready for evaluation and early adoption. This is great news for Web developers who want to get a jumpstart on creating electronic commerce applications built on global standards," said Klaus-Dieter Naujok, chair of ebXML and member of the UN/CEFACT Steering Group. "We are very excited to report our progress is significantly ahead of schedule and that we are in a position to deliver the ebXML technical infrastructure in 90 days."

Strong Vendor Participation in ebXML Standard Development Means Success

Cisco, Fujistu, IBM, Interwoven, IPNet, Netfish Technologies, NTT Communications, Savvion, Sterling Commerce, Sun Microsystems, TIE, Viquity and XMLSolutions collaborated to build an interactive implementation of ebXML interoperability. In addition, Extol, webMethods and XML Global tracked the POC event closely and indicated that they would be interested in participating in future ebXML events. The demonstration, which was presented in North America for the first time today at a media event in San Francisco, showed how businesses can use ebXML to dynamically formulate trading partnerships through a registry service and exchange electronic business transactions using a consistent XML-based messaging infrastructure. The ebXML demonstration showed dynamic business transactions using payloads from the Automotive Industry Action Group.

"These vendors, many of whom are competitors, came together to prove that one of ebXML core strength's is interoperability", said Robert S. Sutor, Ph.D. of IBM, vice chair of ebXML and member of the OASIS Board of Directors. "Early completion of the ebXML technical infrastructure will pave the way for rapid availability of multiple commercial integrated ebXML-compliant solutions. These will reduce the costs of deployment and ensure the flexibility required for e-commerce success in the global market."

About ebXML
ebXML (www.ebXML.org) is an International Initiative established by UN/CEFACT and OASIS in late 1999 with a mandate to undertake an 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 of ebXML is to facilitate open trade between organizations regardless of size by enabling XML to be used in a consistent manner to exchange electronic business data.

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 the international, not-for-profit consortium that advances electronic business by promoting open, collaborative development of interoperability specifications. OASIS sponsors include Adobe Systems, Aerospatiale, AND Data Solutions, Arbortext, B-Bop Associates, BEA Systems, Bentley Systems, Boeing, Bowstreet, Bridge, Chrystal Software, Cohesia, Commerce One, DataChannel, Dataloom, Defense Information Services Agency, Deutsche Post AG, Documentum, EADS Matra, eCredit.com, empolis, Enigma, Excelergy, eXcelon, Extensibility, Extricity Software, First Call, IBM, icomXpress, Informix, Infoteria, Interwoven, IPNet Solutions, ISOGEN, ITEDO, Jamcracker, JetForm, Logistics Management Institute, Mediaplex, Mercator Software, Micrografx, Microsoft, Netegrity, Netfish, NextPage, NII Enterprise Promotion Association, Nimble Technology, NIST, ObjectSpace, Pick Systems, Pearson Education, Popkin Software, ProNet Technology, Reuters, Sabre, SAP, Sequoia Software, SoftQuad, Software AG, StreamServe, Sun Microsystems, Thomas Technology Solutions, TIBCO, Virtual Access Networks, Visa, Wavo, webMethods, Whitehill Technologies, Xerox, XML Global, XMLSolutions and XyEnterprise.

For more information:
Carol Geyer
Director of Communications
OASIS
carol.geyer@oasis-open.org
+1 978.667.5115 x209