RE: [ebxml-dev] Adoption by SMEs

[Daniel Feygin <feygin@unitspace.com>]

David,

I was suggesting something of a greater amount of intelligence that just
connection routing and transport.  Telephone system offers no additional
processing beyond what fax machines do.  In that context, the service I am
referring to would have been able to accept, convert, store - if the
recipient is busy or not responding - and deliver facsimile messages in
different protocols and formats.  Because fax standards are not as diverse
as possible ebXML implementations (or, as Mr. Rawlins suggested in his
latest article, implementation profiles), all fax machines support all of
the facsimile standards in existence and the timeout/retry logic can be
effortlessly implemented in the appliance itself, making an intermediate
store/forward service unnecessary.

What's significant is that the e-business intermediary could enable a far
more diverse set of capabilities than a fax intermediary.  While it could
send delivery/receipt acknowledgements, it could never possibly
automatically respond with pricing/availability data.  Because ebXML is
structured data, we can code business logic into the intermediary, which
would have otherwise been implemented in the appliance.

I believe that the intermediary can not only supplement the appliance, but
completely functionally replace it and provide greater overall value for a
number of reasons.  The appliance involves manufacturing and delivery
(transportation, warehousing, retailing) costs, shifts maintenance (as
little as there may be) to the user, requires awareness of the need to
upgrade, not to mention the upgrade process itself, which may involve
hardware changes.  Purchasing an appliance usually requires an immediate
cash outlay for SMEs, whereas service costs are spread out.  The appliance
cannot be guaranteed to have an always-on Internet connection - even phone
service and power are subject to regular disruptions in some parts of the
world.  So, in my view, there is a market for a service completely replacing
such an appliance, because all of the appliance's functionality can be
delivered as a service and would probably suit at least some SMEs better
than an appliance.

Daniel


-----Original Message-----
From: David Lyon [mailto:david@globaltradedesk.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 7:05 AM
To: 'Daniel Feygin'
Subject: RE: [ebxml-dev] Adoption by SMEs


Hi Daniel,

I agree with what you are saying. Appliances will always have to use some
sort of service just like mobile phones have to go through a telephone
exchange. Even fax machines (a classic appliance), need to use the telephone
system, which is in itself a form of intermediary.

Take care

David Lyon
Product Manager
Global TradeDesk Exchange

-----Original Message-----
From:	Daniel Feygin [SMTP:feygin@unitspace.com]
Sent:	Friday, 26 April 2002 16:46
To:	ebxml-dev@lists.ebxml.org
Subject:	RE: [ebxml-dev] Adoption by SMEs

A lot has been said recently on this list about direct peer-to-peer ebXML
via an appliance or a shrink-wrap software package.  However I do not
believe that such an implementation of ebXML capabilities is necessarily the
best approach for SME's or at least for all SME's who could derive value
from ebXML.  In my view they would benefit from an always-on intermediary
that accepts (and maybe sends) messages on their behalf.  Moreover, such
intermediary could be more than a simple store-and-forward service,
providing document transformation/translation (OAGIS PO to UBL PO),
generation (composing SO from PO) and export in the formats suitable for the
common accounting packages.  Coding more logic into this service provider
would enable incrementally greater value: the service can actually be the
endpoint of some interactions, responding to incoming business documents
either automatically or with input from the user.  It would still
synchronize offline systems with relevant data either online (when a
connection is available) or offline through document export.

Some of this intermediary's functionality is complementary to the ebXML
appliance concept.

Daniel