[announce] Cross Industry ebXML Interoperability Flourishes

[Beth Morrow <Beth@drummondgroup.com>]

Cross Industry ebXML Interoperability Flourishes
12 Leading Vendors participate in ebXML Message Service Testing

Austin, Texas, October 1, 2002.  Drummond Group, Inc. (DGI), a vendor
neutral consultancy and leader in software interoperability testing, today
announced the launch of the second ebXML messaging interoperability test
with twelve participating vendors. The test is sponsored under the Uniform
Code Council Inc. Interoperability Compliance Program and uses the Drummond
Group Interoperability Compliance Processes ™. The testing is being done for
ebXML Message Service specification v 2.0, which is the most current
version.  Participating organizations include bTrade, inc., Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cyclone Commerce, eXcelon Corporation,
Fujitsu Limited, Global eXchange Services, IPNet Solutions, Inc., Sun
Microsystems, Sybase, Inc., Sterling Commerce, TIBCO Software Inc. and XML
Global Technologies, Inc.  Sun Microsystems funded testing scholarships for
several of the participants.

The ebXML messaging specification is endorsed by numerous industries and
industry consortia.  “Interoperability in the ebXML messaging layer is
critical to the growth and adoption of ebXML overall,” said Vic Zappia,
chairman of STAR.  “The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail
(STAR), comprised of companies supporting retail automotive operations, is
pleased to see the growing number of companies participating in this effort.
This is important to our members, as it means that they have a growing list
of interoperable ebXML supportive products from which they can choose. We
applaud the efforts of the Uniform Code Council and Drummond Group in their
initiative to raise the level of interoperability in the marketplace.”

“ebXML Messaging is one of the few non-proprietary  business quality
messaging systems available which offers secure, consistent conveyance of
all forms of digital information between businesses on Internet,” says Rik
Drummond, CEO of DGI.  “ This will allow companies in supply chains to have
a choice in products which has historically not been the case. This is the
harbinger of a new world in supply chain implementations, one without the
historic lock-in to one or two vendor products.”

“Our global customers, particularly those in healthcare, government and
manufacturing, are asking for ebXML supporting solutions with proven
interoperability,” said Ed Julson, group marketing manager, industry
alliances and standards, Sun Microsystems, Inc. “In order to help promote a
flourishing market of interoperable products and meet customer demand, Sun
is pleased to have been able to provide scholarships for several vendors to
participate in the Drummond Group’s tests.”

ebXML Messaging v 2.0 is a key international standard that enables secure
and reliable messaging in a Web service model. ebXML Message Service v 2.0
facilitates the secure transmission of transaction data from one party to
another either directly or through intermediaries, such as e-marketplaces
and exchanges.

Drummond Group Inc. had earlier this year donated their ebXML Messaging v
2.0 test suites from the first round of testing to jumpstart the efforts of
the OASIS ebXML Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance Technical
Committee (IIC).  The IIC has been working diligently this year to develop a
broad set of guidelines and conformance specifications to ensure that ebXML
interoperability across industries exists on a global scale.

About ebXML
ebXML, sponsored by UN/CEFACT and OASIS, is a modular suite of
specifications that enables enterprises of any size and in any geographical
location to conduct business over the Internet. Using ebXML, companies now
have a standard method to exchange business messages, conduct trading
relationships, communicate data in common terms and define and register
business processes. For more information, visit www.ebxml.org.

About Drummond Group Inc.
www.drummondgroup.com
Drummond Group Inc. is a vendor-neutral consultancy that drives the adoption
of technical standards for supply chain optimization through
interoperability testing and competitive supply chain strategies. DGI
started interoperability testing in 1996 and has built a worldwide
reputation for expertise, value and integrity using the DGI Interoperability
Compliance Process™. DGI collaborates with the standards community, software
companies and industry groups to align horizontal infrastructures with the
needs of industries such as retail, grocery, healthcare, transportation,
government and automotive.



Beth Morrow
Drummond Group, Inc.
512-335-5606 phone
512-335-5644 fax
Beth@Drummondgroup.com
www.drummondgroup.com