Defense Agencies Collaborate with Suppliers on OASIS Data Exchange Sets for Product Life Cycle Support

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

Defense Agencies Around the World Collaborate with Suppliers on OASIS Data
Exchange Sets for Product Life Cycle Support 

Boeing, LSC, Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation, Swedish Defence
Materiel Administration, UK Ministry of Defence, US Defense Information
Systems Agency, and Others Extend Applications of ISO STEP Protocol 


Boston, MA, USA; 13 April 2004 -- Standards consortium, OASIS, has brought
together government defense agencies, major manufacturers, and software
vendors to collaborate on the deployment of an international data exchange
standard to support complex engineered assets throughout their entire life
cycle. The new OASIS Product Life Cycle Support (PLCS) Technical Committee
will develop Data Exchange Sets (DEXs) that provide a mechanism to maintain
information on complex systems such as ships, aircraft, engines, or oil
platforms, supporting product changes from concept to disposal. 

OASIS PLCS Technical Committee members will base their work on the
International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 10303 Standard for
Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP) Application Protocol 239 PLCS.  OASIS
will build on the ISO STEP XML binding to generate standardized XML schemas
for PLCS DEXs.

Defense agencies across Europe and North America are actively participating
in the OASIS development. Air Chief Marshal Sir Malcolm Pledger, UK Chief of
Defence Logistics emphasized that the initiative had his personal support.
Commodore Morten Jacobsen, Norwegian Head of Defence Investment, expressed
his belief that PLCS will be the leading standard for product data and Life
Cycle Management.  

"PLCS will enable UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to contract against an open,
neutral and commercial ISO support data standard. We see PLCS as a keystone
in the development of the MOD support transformation policy driving down
equipment support costs," said Major-General Malcolm Wood, Director General
Defence Supply Chain, United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Jerry Smith of the US Defense Information Systems Agency, co-chair of the
OASIS PLCS Technical Committee explained, "One of the biggest challenges for
owners and maintainers of complex, high value assets is keeping all of the
information that describes the product and its associated support
environment aligned with the actual product configuration as it changes
throughout its operating life. The OASIS PLCS work answers the growing need
for open standards that facilitate the next generation of integrated
customer support solutions." 

"The exciting thing about advancing this work within OASIS is the
participation we have from customers and users as well as vendors," added
Howard Mason of BAE Systems, co-chair of the OASIS PLCS Technical Committee.
"This shared approach to a shared problem is fundamental to the common
solutions that are needed to transform the logistics chain across both
commercial and military domains."

OASIS PLCS Technical Committee members include The Boeing Company, LSC
Group, Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation, Swedish Defence Materiel
Administration, UK Ministry of Defence, US Defense Information Systems
Agency, and others. To ensure the entire community is represented in the
OASIS development, liaisons have been established with ISO's TC 184/SC4 on
Industrial Data, the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA),
POSC Caesar, and Government Electronics & Information Technology Association
(G-EIA). Participation remains open to all organizations and individuals,
and OASIS hosts a mail list for public comment.


About OASIS

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, conformance,
business transactions, electronic publishing, topic maps 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. http://www.oasis-open.org

Additional information:

OASIS PLCS Technical Committee
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/plcs


Press contact:

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