RE: UN/CEFACT Position Statement on ebXML

[Jean-Jacques Dubray <jeanjadu@Attachmate.com>]

Title: RE: UN/CEFACT Position Statement on ebXML

Klaus:

Thanks for these precisions. I am a bit puzzled with this paragraph

"UN/CEFACT recognizes that ebXML is a very important technology solution
which it will continue to actively maintain and support. UN/CEFACT
recognizes the rapid pace of technology development and remains
committed to the development of business content that can be used with
any existing or future technological solution, such as UN/EDIFACT, XML
and web services. In so doing UN/CEFACT remains open to cooperation and
collaboration with all organizations sharing similar objectives."

"UN/CEFACT recognizes that ebXML is a very important technology solution
which it will continue to actively maintain and support."

Why this sentence was not in the press release of August 21st declaring the completion of the ebXML work?

Rather the press release focused on other technologies (here is a quote from you):

(http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/archive/22/  and
http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/articleview/1154/1/22/)

Klaus-Dieter Naujok, former Chair of the ebXML Project says " Going forward we expect to make use of much of our ebXML technical work ...We hope to use the newly established liaisons with the OASIS Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Technical Committee (TC), plus the Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I) and our UN/CEFACT Techniques and Methodologies Business Process Working Group to align our efforts, and eliminate duplication of work".

In this quote you do not mention keeping the integrity of the ebXML architecture as one of your major goals ("moving forward"). I rather read (and it could only be my imagination) that you want to bring the ebXML work that you feel belong to UN/CEFACT to new venues like BPEL or WS-I (Which I agree are major technological components since companies like Microsoft are supporting them).

This is rather strange in a press release that says "we have completed some work", not to say that you have the intention to support it? Specially when you know that this is what you want to do. This is not very logical to me.

On the remainder of the paragraph, I don't think anyone could disagree with the UN/CEFACT position. However, I have two questions for you:

1) Since this is the official position of UN/CEFACT, why when I asked if I could formally submit the ebXML BPSS specification as an input to the Web Service choreography group you, after consulting the TMG steering committee, you refused this submission? Wouldn't ws-chor be included in the technologies that you refering to? (pardon my ignorance, I know little about web services). Maybe it is because ws-chor does not belong to that technology group? It is possible, I don't know, big company like Microsoft are not participating in this forum, so it must be irrelevant then. On the other hand, BPSS appeared magically on the ws-bpel working group, there must be a correlation there because, ws-bpel is supported by big companies like Microsoft.

2) Also, since UN/CEFACT is so very committed to supporting ebXML why did you (Klaus, representing UN/CEFACT in the BPSS working group) supported from January 2003 to June 2003 a proposal submitted by Jim Clark (Microsoft) that would in essence break the architecture of ebXML (CPP/A and BPSS) that would have resulted in reducing ebXML to a mere reliable messaging exchange framework? The whole BPSS editorial team had to oppose this, but in the process we lost 6 months. Why did you support it? I really don't understand in the light of the press release today?

Of course, all this can only be the product of my imagination. We will see what the future will tell us about what YOU will do to comply with the position of the UN/CEFACT stated today.

Would you be so kind to provide answers to these questions?

Truly yours,

Jean-Jacques
tel: 425-649-6584
Cell: 508-333-7634

-----Original Message-----
From: Klaus-Dieter Naujok [mailto:knaujok@attglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 4:26 PM
To: ebxml-dev@lists.ebxml.org
Subject: UN/CEFACT Position Statement on ebXML

Geneva, Switzerland, October 20, 2003 - Since its establishment in 1997
UN/CEFACT has consistently advocated and pursued adoption of a
technology- and implementation-neutral eBusiness strategy. In 1999
UN/CEFACT initiated the ebXML (eBusiness with XML) project. OASIS was
subsequently invited to join the initiative as a partner. The project
goal was to produce an XML standard that delivered both business
content and a technology interface in a consistent and reproducible
manner.

The ebXML intensive development stage successfully concluded in May
2001 with the development of foundational technical specifications and
reports. Since then UN/CEFACT and OASIS have continued collaborative
development of the original specifications, coordinated by a Joint
Coordination Committee (JCC).

In May 2003 the UN/CEFACT Plenary recognized the successful completion
of the ebXML technical infrastructure work and endorsed the ebXML
specifications to allow implementation.

Acknowledging the successful conclusion of this joint work, UN/CEFACT
felt that the original goals of this initial phase had been achieved
and that all open items would be realized in the very near future.
Hence, UN/CEFACT felt its primary focus should return to providing
technology- and implementation-neutral solutions so as to fully exploit
its unique and significant expertise in business process knowledge.

UN/CEFACT recognizes that ebXML is a very important technology solution
which it will continue to actively maintain and support. UN/CEFACT
recognizes the rapid pace of technology development and remains
committed to the development of business content that can be used with
any existing or future technological solution, such as UN/EDIFACT, XML
and web services. In so doing UN/CEFACT remains open to cooperation and
collaboration with all organizations sharing similar objectives.

UN/CEFACT Steering Group
October 20, 2003

--
Klaus-Dieter Naujok                         UN/CEFACT/TMG Chair
Global e-Business Advisory Council            Principal Advisor
Business: www.ge-bac.com        Personal: www.klaus.naujok.name
TMG: www.untmg.org                           BCF: www.unbcf.org