[ciq] UBL Library and CIQ Standards

[Ram Kumar <rkumar@msi.com.au>]

CIQ TC

UBL recently released a UBL library of schemas.
Interestingly, they had their own name and address definitions.
But they did have a note in their document how their addres tags
map to CIQ's xAL. I have been for a while talking to
Jon Bosak and Tim McGrath of UBL to include xNL and xAL
as part of their library. I have enclosed my e-mail to
Tim after reviewing UBL schemas and his response.

Based on Tim's request, Max and I worked on modifying
their schema library to show UBL how xNL and xAL can be
easily included as part of their library and how it helps
in normalising their name and address structures which was
interestingly, not normalised properly.

I submitted the modified library to Tim and his team and Tim
is happy to take it up once the review period is complete.

Regards

Ram

Discussions between Tim and I are enclosed below:

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim McGrath [mailto:tmcgrath@portcomm.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 3 February 2003 4:48 PM
To: Ram Kumar
Cc: jon.bosak@sun.com
Subject: Re: UBL latest release


thanks ram,

you have certainly put in  some thoguht to this.  i will pass it on to
the group.

please be advised we are collecting all comments up until April 17th so
you may not hear a response before May.  someone may however, contact
you if we need more details.

thanks again.


Ram Kumar wrote:

>Dear Tim
>
>Please find enclosed our comments regarding the
>recent release of UBL library.
>
>As discussed earier and to answer the last paragraph
>of your e-mail to me below, we have modified the
>CoreComponentTypes.xsd and UBL_Library_op70_reusable.xsd
>to replace the name and address elements of UBL with
>appropriate xNL and xAL element structure.
>
>Please find enclosed the zip file consisting of the
>above files along with the xNL and xAL xsd files.
>Unzip them and copy them to the xsd directory of your
>o70 UBL library. This will replace your existing
>CoreComponentTypes.xsd and UBL_Library_op70_reusable.xsd
>files. Play with the files and you will notice how we
>have addressed party name and address with xNL and xAL.
>The unnecessary replications of identical name and address
>structures in your original reusable schemas have been
>normalised by our approach.
>
>We also believe that xCIL components of OASIS CIQ TC
>can be re-used in UBL libraries to define the contact
>details of a party/customer. However, we did not go to the
>extend of modifying the reusable libraries of UBL to include
>xCIL.
>
>I look forward to hearing from you.
>
>With kind regards
>
>Ram Kumar
>
>

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim McGrath [mailto:tmcgrath@portcomm.com.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 29 January 2003 12:42 PM
To: Ram Kumar
Cc: jon.bosak@sun.com
Subject: Re: UBL latest release


Hello Ram

As you are aware, the UBL Library Content Team has been monitoring the
CIQ work and recognises its value.  I spoke with David Weber about this
in November.

You will be interested to know that we did have prototype models of our
library based on the xAL elements of CIQ.  However, given the major
significant design issues we faced with 0p70, the team felt that we
could address (no pun intended) CIQ in the next round and wanted to
focus on more structural design issues. So the matter is still open.  We
have not made a decision to not use CIQ.

In the meantime, we believe it is possible to have a simple mapping of
the 0p70 elements to CIQ/xAL equivalents.  Anyone wishing to use CIQ can
translate from UBL if necessary. So we see UBL as not incompatible with
CIQ.  As you say, CIQ is a vocabulary. UBL needs a structure.  Currently
we use our own vocabulary but these tags can be changed if we have
consensus within the group.

UBL is well presented by the US Government and my feeling is they see
the strategy we are taking as legitimate.  I have to confess that I was
also somewhat surprised by the concerns from our European contingent
about the parallel work being done in the EEC.  Are you aware of this?

We intend this current round of review to be the final before we submit
our work to OASIS for a Committee Specification. So, i suggest your
wisest course of action is to submit a comment to this release
indicating that there are CIQ tags already defined for our requirements
and demonstrate how xAL would implement the structures we require.  Rest
assured we shall give strong consideration to your input.


Ram Kumar wrote:

>Hi Tim and Jon
>
>Good day!
>
>I am reviewing your latest release of the UBL specs.
>
>I would have still preferred re-using the OASIS CIQ Name and address and
>other customer information standards as part of your re-usable library.
>Many organisations, government bodies and even standard committees are
>re-using the name and address standards as part of their standards effort.
>In OASIS, for example, we have Human Markup Language TC,
>Election and Voting Services TC, and Tax TC re-using the name and
>address standards. Even the Liberty alliance is considering using CIQ
>standards
>for storing customer profile information.
>
>I am still not clear why a decision was made in UBL not to re-use
>CIQ standards. The point I am trying to make is that any organisation would
>prefer
>to have a single standard for storing/representing their customer name and
>address
>data. CIQ was precisely defined to ensure that a single name and address
>standard
>can be applied in an organisation to different types of applications and in
>particular, that can be used to handle the names and addresses of 241+
>countries.
>
>I would greatly appreciate your feedback on why a decision was made not to
>re-use
>CIQ name and address standards, whether any flaws are in the standards,
etc.
>that will
>help the CIQ committee to improve the standard.
>
>With kind regards
>
>Ram Kumar
>Chair, OASIS CIQ TC
>
>
>

--
regards
tim mcgrath
fremantle  western australia 6160
phone: +618 93352228  fax: +618 93352142