Press Release

OASIS Launches XML.org Focus Area for Localisation

Online XML Clearinghouse Showcases Domain-Specific Content Provided by LRC

Dublin, Ireland and Boston, MA, USA; 18 November 2003– The OASIS international standards consortium today launched the XML.org Focus Area on Localisation http://localisation.xml.org to provide domain-specific content on XML standards. The site has been developed in cooperation with the Localisation Research Centre (LRC), Europe’s information, research, and educational institute for the linguistic and cultural adaptation of software.

Localisation becomes the latest addition to a growing series of XML.org Focus Areas; others include Insurance, Human Resources, and Printing & Publishing. Each XML.org Focus Area covers news, standards and initiatives, vendors, consortia, trade associations, government agencies and implementers, events, and resources germane to each specific industry sector.

"The importance of localisation in today’s global marketplace cannot be overstated. Language technology standards provide the foundation for successful international business," said Patrick Gannon, president and CEO of OASIS, in an address at the LRC Conference in Dublin today. "LRC’s expertise in this area ensures that the XML.org Focus Area on Localisation will provide a comprehensive and relevant resource for companies adopting XML-related industry standards."

"Localisation encompasses not only translating documents, but also adapting the cultural aspects of digital content, i.e., data formats, icons, writing directions, etc., so that products can be universally meaningful across a variety of geographic and linguistic boundaries," noted Reinhard Schaler, Director, LRC. "We are pleased to be part of the OASIS XML.org Focus Area program. It offers an ideal fit with LRC’s mission to serve as an information provider to the localisation industry worldwide."

The XML.org Focus Area on Localisation will also serve as an access-point to related information on the OASIS-hosted Cover Pages, http://xml.coverpages.org, widely regarded as the most comprehensive public resource for information on XML and related technical standards for the structured information community.

Future XML.org Focus Areas are being planned for Healthcare, E-Government, Financial Services, Aerospace/Defense, Education, Security, Retail, and others.

XML.org is sponsored by BEA Systems, Global Exchange Services, ISOGEN International, and SAP.

About LRC http://www.localisation.ie The Localisation Research Centre (LRC) is a research centre of the University of Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in 1995 with support from the Irish Government and has since lead a large number of industrial and academic research projects. Most recently, the LRC established the European Localisation Exchange Centre (ELECT), the Localisation Technology Laboratory and Showcase (LOTS) and ELECT online, the information resource of the localisation community (www.electonline.org). The LRC runs the annual International Localisation Summer School, Professional Development Seminars and the annual LRC Conference, Europe’s premier Localisation, Internationalisation and Globalisation Event.

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, XML conformance, business transactions, electronic publishing, topic maps and interoperability within and between marketplaces. OASIS has more than 2,500 corporate and individual members in 100 countries around the world.

Press contact:

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