RE: CIQ, xNL, xAL

[Marcus Goncalves <mgoncalves@thevan.com>]

Ram,

 

Do we yet have an engine/technology that is able to extract and normalize address books into XML?  It is my understanding that ebXML is more of a horizontal spec, not really dealing with the vertical processes of data integration/extraction.  The reason I'm asking is because we have extensive know-how in extracting data from virtually 18 PIM applications (i.e. Lotus Notes, Eudora, RIM, MS Outlook, Netscape, Act! and many others).  The API, which we dubbed ICE (Internet Content Extractor), may be a base to work with, assuming we don't yet have such framework in place.  Of course, for xNL/xAL, there will be much more to be spec out, but I was just wondering if it would be useful in any way, even if the logic of it.

 

Cheers,

 

Marcus Goncalves
Chief Knowledge Officer
Virtual Access Networks, Inc.
>>Awarded the best enterprise product at Comdex 2000<<
360 Merrimack Street, Bldg 1, 2nd floor - Lawrence, MA 01843
http://www.thevan.com
Email: mgoncalves@thevan.com - ICQ 5957163
Ph: 978-722-7107 - Cell: 508-353-1885 - Fax: 978-794-4363
Main number: 978-725-3322
Pers. HP: http://members.aol.com/goncalvesv/private/writer.htm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in this e-mail message is intended only for the
personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above.  If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent
responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that you have received this document in error and that any
review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly
prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify
us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 -----Original Message-----
From: Ram Kumar [mailto:rkumar@msi.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 9:31 PM
To: CIQ TC (E-mail)
Subject: FW: CIQ, xNL, xAL

CIQians

 

FYI. The HR Consortium does not seem to get what the CIQ is trying to achieve, ie. a name

and address standard that is "Global" and is NOT APPLICATION DEPENDENT such as

postal business, etc.

 

Ram

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ram Kumar [mailto:rkumar@msi.com.au]
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 10:25 AM
To: 'Paul Kiel'
Subject: RE: CIQ, xNL, xAL

Mr.Kiel

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Kiel [mailto:paul@xmlhelpline.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 12:44 AM
To: rkumar@msi.com.au
Subject: CIQ, xNL, xAL

Mr. Kumar,

 

I am Paul Kiel, a consultant to the HR-XML Consortium (a non-profit consortium of over 110 human resource related companies), and I wanted to touch base with you regarding the CIQ work you have been doing.  I wanted to share with you some items we have worked on that are akin to your xAL and xNL.   See attached files.  

 

There seems to be a growing number of organizations that are working toward similar interoperability goals.  I have heard of the international postal people (the name of the organization escapes me) getting together to map out a standard postal address specification.  And of course ebXML Core Components is still at work.  Our expertise is of course with Human Resource related information and not postal addresses, so we will probably be sympathetic toward standards coming from ebXML or the postal people with regard to things like postal address.  Have you networked with these folks regarding xAL and xNL? 

 

I had a look at your standards long back. It is true that your standards are not "global". That is, they cannot handle postal addresses and

person names from all countries (i.e 227). As such, no standards in XML have been developed to handle "global" data. This is the

objective of our work. It is much more detailed and therefore, is not restricted to just one application of address, ie. postal. It  be used

in variety of applications that use addresses. For example, data cleansing, customer data quality, etc. The number of examples in the

standards work proves that the standard xAL and xNL are moving towards "global" solution. Following are the groups that are now interested

to work with us and we are talking about it now:

- OTA, Open Travel Association (more than 150 members)

- CPExchange, Customer Profile Exchange Group

- CEN (Eurpoean Standardisation Body), that is working on postal standards in conjunction with United Nations Postal Union,

  USPS (US Postal Services), Direct Mail Advisorry Board and UN/EDIFACT.

- XNS.ORG

- ebXML (which is part of OASIS anyway).

 

We are very much looking forward to share our work with any group. A single standard is the solution. I am sure your group can

also share our work as your DTDs on postal address and Names is a small subset of our work.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you

 

Regards

 

Ram

 

  

 

At any rate, we had seen the work you are doing and we simply wanted to share ours in the name of open standards.  If you have any further questions about HR-XML, visit http://www.hr-xml.org. 

 

Regards,

 

Paul Kiel

 

W. Paul Kiel
HR-XML Consortium
919-845-7689
paul@hr-xml.org