Where to next? - It's not the traction, nor supporting two stacks, nor any of this!

["David RR Webber \(XML\)" <david@drrw.info>]

Mikkel, 

It's much simpler than all of this.  We've been fighting this
"self-fulfilling prophecy" stuff from Microsoft and IBM especially for
the past five years - when they decided they wanted to step out from
supporting ebXML  for whatever reasons and agendas they had (sure -
they had plenty - but few they wanted to admit to - more on this
below). 

For me this is exactly the same battle and arguments that were thrown at
UNIX/LINUX for exactly the same reasons. 

The double standard and hypocrisy are there for everyone to see.   

If the roles were reversed - do you think we'd be hearing any of these
arguments?  No - it would sooo eassy to put WS-* alongside SOAP/ebXML,
no problems.  Do you think we'd be hearing "traction" mentioned if WS-*
had 11% and ebXML 17% according to CDBI? 

And project costs - I've seen first hand that maintaining the messaging
stack takes less than 10% of the project resources - the other 90% is
all on application support, XSD issues, java null pointers, database
issues, and performance tuning.  Also we know from the EDI world - once
the messaging is running - its very stable.  And we know this stuff just
plain works - as Norway can see from their NIA solution.

You have to look at what is REALLY going on here.  It's all about money,
contracts and lock-in.  I've been doing this consulting all now too long
to not realize this was why IBM got "cold feet" over ebXML - when
someone said "wait a minute, why are we doing this?  This undermines
why customers need Websphere, AND worse means all our competitors know
how to do all this - not just our engineering teams".   And Microsoft
said - "this undermines BizTalk server and our developer re-sellers" -
so they formed an unholy alliance - because they said they had "simple
web services that in six months would replace complex ebXML". Do you
remember that pitch?  Ironic is'nt it - five years later and their WS-*
stack is way more complex than ebXML.

Look if you want standards - anyone can BUY an ISO standard these days -
Microsoft just did it for OOXML... and now all the big guys have open
source solutions.

So what is the TRUE MEASURE of open public standards and solutions?

Does one segment of the marketplace gain significant lock-out by
imposing their standards on the remainder?  Open standards only benefit
customers when they create a broad marketplace - where costs over time
are reduced and implementers can easily deploy the technology.

So using ebXML here is your insurance policy. What if there are no
alternatives to WS-* ? Whatif WS-* v3+ is even more complex so that
only the few trained consultants know how to make this all work
together? I'm sure the sales organizations from the Big-6 are hoping
for exactly that!!!

And notice that there has been a HUGE TREND ALREADY toward complexity
with XML.  UBL is a case in point.

What happened to the whole vision that Tim and Jon had back in 1997 -
that XML would be simple and human manageable and work with existing
tools and editors?

You cannot even OPEN a UBL schema and understand it - without using a
$200 tool now... 

(unless you are using a CAM template to guide you on your use model...is
this telling you something?)

Mikkel - please do not be blinded by this.  

I can give you 50 whitepapers that argue about the pro's and con's of
ebXML, WS-* and more - but the reality is that one technology is
designed from its foundation to be inclusive and accessible and totally
public and neutral.  The other - well only "professional drivers on
closed courses can be driving those cars".

And since UBL is supposed to be the "Volks-Technology" enabling everyone
to do e-Invoicing - if I were you I'd be including that little piece of
ebXML "insurance policy" in your implementation mix.

But of course, when you do that, you will hear a chorus of wailing and
dismay from the "Big-6" partners - and that should be telling you
something also.

The irony is that Oracle has the most to gain and to offer here to its
customers - and I beleive they sense that here.  This is simple
value-add that any Oracle customer can get right away for a small
effort and cost.  And Oracle is being very saavy these days in
maintaining customer loyality by emphasizing inherent benefits from
their solution suite.

You maybe just so surprised here - to discover as the Canadian
Government did - that by including the use of ebXML - they suddenly
found it makes total sense and dramatically lowers the costs for their
partners...

Thanks, DW

"The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)