Press Release

OASIS Members Collaborate on Global Framework to Enhance Web Services Deployment

Singapore; 29 September 2003 — Members of the OASIS international standards consortium announced plans to collaborate on the development of a global Web services framework that will define a methodology for broad-based, multi-platform, vendor-neutral implementation. The new OASIS Framework for Web Services Implementation (FWSI) Technical Committee plans to design a template for Web services deployment, enabling systems integrators, software vendors, and in-house developers to deliver eCommerce solutions faster and easier.

"FWSI will define the functionality required to help people build robust applications for Web services and Service Oriented Architectures," said Roberto B. Pascual of the Singapore Government’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), proposed co-chair of the OASIS FWSI Technical Committee. "It will speed adoption of Web services by tremendously reducing the risk, complexity, and implementation effort involved."

The OASIS FWSI Technical Committee will specify a set of functional elements required for practical implementations of Web Services-based systems. These functional elements provide building blocks for developers to use when deploying Web services architectures, enabling rapid development of eBusiness applications by eliminating the need to re-invent elements for each implementation.

"The work of the OASIS FWSI Technical Committee will be analogous to creating a recipe for baking a cake," explained Dr. Lee Eng Wah, of the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), proposed co-chair of the OASIS FWSI Technical Committee. "We will first develop a set of implementation methodologies, which will be like cooking instructions. Then we will focus on designing a set of functional elements for Web services–the ingredients for the cake."

Rather than define standards for implementing specific Web services components, FWSI will leverage applicable work within OASIS and other standards groups. Technical Committee members predict that the work of the WS-I Consortium will complement FWSI at OASIS.

"We are very pleased that the OASIS FWSI Technical Committee is being launched in Singapore and has the backing of so many companies and agencies here and around the world," said Patrick Gannon, president and CEO of OASIS, in an address today at the iX2003 conference. "By creating a library of core eCommerce Web services, FWSI will accelerate the deployment of Web services and Service Oriented Architectures into the critical eBusiness marketplace."

Members of the new OASIS FWSI Technical Committee include CommerceNet, IDA, Information Technology Standards Committee of Singapore, RosettaNet, SIMTech, Sun Microsystems, Center for E-Commerce Infrastructure Development (CECID) at the University of Hong Kong, Yellow Dragon, and other OASIS members. Participation remains open to all organizations and individuals, and OASIS will host a mail list for public comment.

About OASIS (http://www.oasis-open.org):
OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) is a 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 security, Web services, conformance, business transactions, electronic publishing, topic maps and interoperability within and between marketplaces. Founded in 1993, OASIS has more than 2,000 participants representing over 600 organizations and individual members in 100 countries.

Additional information:

OASIS FWSI Technical Committee http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=fwsi

Cover Pages Technology Report: Web Services Implementation

Press contact:

Carol Geyer Director of Communications OASIS (www.oasis-open.org) carol.geyer@oasis-open.org +1.978.667.5115 x209