ebXML Adoption initiative

[Jacques Durand <JDurand@us.fujitsu.com>]

Title: ebXML Adoption initiative

All:

A new forum is being formed to facilitate and promote the adoption of ebXML (Electronic Business eXtensible Markup Language) specifications, and its deployment.

Although there has been some marketing and promotional initiatives for ebXML in the past, these initiatives have been limited in time and scope: either bound to specific products, or too light on resources for a sustained effort. We feel we could have a bigger impact by better coordinating - or federating - available promotional and marketing resources that companies, OASIS, individuals, medias or gov organizations are willing to contribute. The idea is to promote the standard itself as an open eBusiness standard, and to create a dynamic that aims at expanding ebXML adoption - and market. This in turn will indirectly benefit vendors of ebXML products.

To be more concrete, examples of what such a coordination could do are:
- create a repository of promotional material, and possibly share speaker opportunities
that you can't or don't want to use (I found it helpful to ask some of you for presentation material, when having to do a presentation. That could be done more efficiently.)

- maintain and evolve the site www.ebxml.org (OASIS resources are stretched thin to maintain
this comprehensive resource site.)
- gather market data or project data worldwide, in a consistent way.
- relay business and market requirements to the ebXML technical committees.
- planning for demos (trade shows,etc.)
- twist the arms of the nerds in the TCs so that they contribute their share of white papers.

Part of this promotional effort requires a clear voice about the future of the standard, the roadmap, where the whole thing is going and how it relates to other standards.

A decent channel for user requirements to be heard is also missing, and it is not easy to find an "ear" on a faceless constellation of technical committees. (monitoring ebxml-dev may not be enough...)

The timing is right: as we know, ebXML is quietly gaining momentum (as even the most reluctant analysts now admit). The next version is in the works, and users have (or will have) many questions regarding EDI, Web services, SOA, RosettaNet, OAGI, compatibility, etc. that need to be answered with unity. Interoperability testing took place in Asia, US and Europe, and these communities need to share a common forum about their market requirements.

The list of names this email is sent to is mixing marketing, technical, and business experts. It is not closed in any way: if you think some people you know would be interested, let me know. (Note that my role here is only to facilitate the initial phase of this, as current chair of the ebXML joint committee.)

 
In a first phase, the group would discuss possible objectives and actions. It will determine if and when a more formal team needs be created under OASIS - a Committee for ebXML promotion and adoption - and if there is enough interest in it. An OASIS discussion mailing list will be created for this purpose. This investigation phase should not last more than 90 days. In case an "ebXML Adoption" committee is recommended, the team would draft a charter, and would be expected to sponsor the new TC creation.

The first step is to sign-up to the OASIS discussion list. Some conference call may also follow. Not much of a heavy committment. So please let us know if you or someone else in your company is willing to participate to this forum, at least for the investigation phase.

Best Regards,

Jacques Durand
jdurand@us.fujitsu.com
Fujitsu Software
chair of the ebXML Joint Committee