Re: What do people really expect from ebXML? -CoreComponents-Transactions!

["William J. Kammerer" <wkammerer@foresightcorp.com>]

David Lyon reiterates his demand for XML documents covering the usual,
viz., Product Catalogs, Purchase Orders, Invoices/Receipts, Payment
Advices, and  Statement of Accounts.  And just as often, he has been
reminded that producing business documents was not within the initial
scope of ebXML.  As a matter of fact, I remember the pithy quote being
bandied about, in the early days of ebXML, to the effect "the World
doesn't need another PO."  I never really knew what to make of that, but
being painfully shy, I didn't dare ask "what the heck does that mean?"

It does sound like there will be a long wait for these documents coming
out of ebXML - first we have to model the process, then "discover" the
core components all the way down to the basic elements, etc. etc.  So,
if  "It's costing [David] money every day that ebXML is not going," I
suggest he take a look at the existing B2B libraries such as xCBL, at
http://www.xcbl.org/,  or OAGIS, at http://www.openapplications.org/.

Both xCBL and OAGIS seem to have everything David is looking for, and if
my back were against the wall to come up with XML business documents,
those are the first two places I'd look. xCBL even says that their
versions will be compatible with whatever ebXML comes up with - and
assuming a migration path is provided - so using it may provide the path
of least resistance and assurance of compatibility.

William J. Kammerer
FORESIGHT Corp.
4950 Blazer Pkwy.
Dublin, OH USA 43017-3305
+1 614 791-1600

Visit FORESIGHT Corp. at http://www.foresightcorp.com/
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