ebXML use scenario: Internet Business Service Providers

[Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>]

On the last ebXML-BP conference call, I was asked to write up
a usage scenario for the emerging Internet Trading Hubs,
or Internet Business Services, or BSP, or whatcha-ma-callits.

Many of the scenarios for use of ebXML involve the EDI style
of interaction:  Company A sends an electronic document to
Company B, who acknowledges, etc.

These scenarios require Company A and Company B to 
mutually agree on many aspects of document communication,
and to connect to ebXML repositories and deploy adapters
between ebXML documents and their application programs.

Another scenario that has been mentioned packages up
all the ebXML interactions into commercial off-the-shelf
programs, to reduce the deployment time and effort.

However, yet another scenario is emerging, where the
whole business transaction is mediated by an Internet
business service, sometimes of startling complexity.

Examples:
* The obvious purchasing hubs: Ariba, Commerce One,
   etc.
* Business auction sites like FreeMarkets, which even
  get into auctioning off yearly component contracts with
  complex specifications.
* Construction bidding and project management sites
  like BidCom, BuzzSaw and PrimeContract, where the
  whole project aims to be hosted on the BSP.
* Supply chain hosting sites like i2's and the 
  Ford-Oracle AutoXchange which wants to merge
  with the GM-CommerceOne TradeXchange and
  incorporate Daimler-Chrysler and who knows who else.
  (Now called New Company internally, I understand...)
* Electron Economy and other sites that want to host
  freeform cross-industry business collaborations.

I could go on, but the idea should be clear.

There are a number of implications of these developments.
Here are some that either have been mentioned in ebXML,
or come to mind.  I am sure others can think of others.
* The suppliers in such sites face a bewildering array
   of proprietary systems that they are asked to join
   and adapt their internal systems to.  One of the 
   stimuli to the auto industry supply chain site merger
   was the objections of companies like Bosch to
   all the competing ecommerce sites.
   The same dilemma faces construction subcontractors,
   who tend to have less clout than Bosch.
* If these things take off (as they seem to be doing),
  the need for standards like ebXML will become 
  glaringly obvious very soon now.
* These sites will encapsulate most of the B2B
   interactions that the EDI style exposes.
   In other words, the sending of ebXML documents
   between companies will not happen.
   ebXML will be used to communicate between
   the BSP and the participating companies'
   internal applications.
*  The public transaction repository and non-repudiation
    features that Todd Boyle and Andrew Chilcott have
   spoken about on this list will happen, and the form
   of the archived transactions will be another required
   standard.

Disclaimer:  I do not expect this BSP style of interaction
to eliminate the EDI style.  But I do expect it to grow in
importance and to dominate some industries.

Comments, disagreements, etc are welcome.
I guess the big question is how much the ebXML
effort should adapt for BSPs?  (If any?)

-Bob Haugen
http://www.supplychainlinks.com