OASIS Press Release: ISO Approves ebXML

["Carol Geyer" <carol.geyer@oasis-open.org>]

ISO Approves ebXML OASIS Standards

ebXML Suite of Technical Specifications Promises to Cut Costs and Simplify
Processes for e-Business 

Geneva, Switzerland and Boston, MA, USA; 29 March 2004 -- The International
Standards Organization (IS0) has approved a suite of four ebXML OASIS
Standards that enable enterprises in any industry, of any size, anywhere in
the world to conduct business over the Internet. The submissions from OASIS
will be published as ISO technical specifications, ISO/TS 15000.

The new ISO 15000 designation, under the general title, Electronic business
eXtensible markup language, includes four parts, each corresponding to one
of ebXML's modular suite of standards:
  ISO 15000-1: ebXML Collaborative Partner Profile Agreement
  ISO 15000-2: ebXML Messaging Service Specification
  ISO 15000-3: ebXML Registry Information Model
  ISO 15000-4: ebXML Registry Services Specification

Until now, the technology available for most businesses to exchange data was
electronic data interchange (EDI), which made significant contributions to
productivity and inventory control. Many companies, however, find EDI
expensive and difficult to implement. The ebXML initiative, using the
economies of scale presented by the Internet, breaks through these
obstacles.

ebXML provides companies with a standard method to exchange business
messages, conduct trading relationships, communicate data in common terms
and define and register business processes. It aims to make it easier for
organizations to interface with others within and outside their industry,
open up new markets with less effort than before and, at the same time, cut
costs and simplify process associated with traditional document exchange. 

"ISO/TS 15000 underscores the importance of partnership between ISO and
standards-developing organizations as OASIS to craft a common set of
standards and reflects the international community's recognition of the
importance of ebXML in enabling electronic business," said Alan Bryden, ISO
Secretary-General. "We applaud the developers of ebXML within OASIS and the
United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business
(UN/CEFACT) for their contributions to open trade data interchange and
harmonization." 

"ISO approval is a gratifying endorsement of both ebXML and the OASIS open
standards process," noted Patrick Gannon, president and CEO of OASIS. "ISO
designation makes the already widely adopted ebXML standards even more
accessible to adopters--particularly those implementing business solutions
for governments--who look to ISO for assurance of long term viability."

John Borras, Director Technology Policy, U.K. Office of the e-Envoy,
characterized the ISO approval as "a milestone for domestic and
international electronic trade. Government agencies, users, and trade
organizations can specify ebXML compliance with even greater confidence."

ISO/TS 15000 was approved by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 154, Processes,
data elements and documents in commerce, industry and administration. For
more information see http://www.iso.org/tc154. OASIS technical committees
retain responsibility for maintaining and advancing ebXML standards. Details
on ebXML installations are provided in the "ebXML Adoption Update" at
http://www.ebxml.org/documents/ebxml_adopt_update_122203.pdf. 


About ISO
ISO is made up of 148 national standards institutes from countries large and
small, industrialized and developing, in all regions of the world. ISO
develops voluntary technical standards which contribute to making industrial
production and supply more efficient, safer and cleaner, and to making trade
between countries easier and fairer. ISO standards also serve to safeguard
consumers and users in general of products and services, as well as to make
their lives simpler. 

About OASIS
OASIS is the 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 Web services, security, conformance,
business transactions, and interoperability within and between marketplaces.
Founded in 1993, OASIS has more than 3,000 participants representing over
600 organizations and individual members in 100 countries.


For more information:
http://www.oasis-open.org
http://www.ebxml.org
http://www.iso.org/tc154


Press contact:
Carol Geyer
Director of Communications
OASIS
carol.geyer@oasis-open.org
+1.978.667.5115 x209