Well I'm the guy who originally asked. Fra: AlanKotok@cs.com [mailto:AlanKotok@cs.com > But take a step back and look at the integration of data from trading partners using different technologies -- often >acknowledged as the most difficult step in implementing e-business -- and ebXML stands out. See for example ... Some references for arguments about interoperability problems: http://www.rawlinsecconsulting.com/ebXML/ebXML3.html (ebXML and Interoperability) And >Of course, if you're a hub company and can demand all suppliers use the same formats and networks, you don't have to worry >about this stuff. For the rest of the business world, however, its an important concern. http://www.rawlinsecconsulting.com/ebXML/ebXML4.html (ebXML and SMEs) the ebxml and SMEs struck me as the most worrisome, probably also because it was the one that backed up my initial suspicion that a small or medium sized company would have an awful time with this stuff. Then, reading http://www.sterlingcommerce.com/PDF/ResourceCenter/RPA-032002-00008.pdf "The EDI market can be split into two logical units: general-purpose EDI and health-care EDI. For the most part, there is very little interplay between these two groups and their internal dynamics are quite different from one another. For example, the general-purpose EDI area is made up of participants in many different vertical sectors that purchase EDI software and services from a group of established vendors that provide basic EDI functionality. This is by far the largest segment of the EDI market. The smaller health-care EDI area is unique in that the vendors in this space do not sell EDI software, but rather charge their customers for access to hosted translation and document exchange services that are specific to the health-care industry. This leads to differing technical requirement skills between these two groups as organizations in the general-purpose area usually have employees that understand the intricacies of the EDI software and the related data mapping processes (or hire consultants to provide this service), whereas in the health-care sector this function is provided by the EDI service provider" it struck me that the second unit of the market, which is a service-based model, might with ebxml come to be pre-eminent (does this seem reasonable to anyone) one thing I considered was that government organizations could perhaps provide ebXML services so as to make it easier for smaller businesses to trade with larger organizations. Shielding the smaller businesses from the complexity and levelling the playing field. I was thinking specifically also in the context of WalMart or larger organizations that could conceivably force ebXML requirements on suppliers: http://www.infy.com/knowledge_capital/thought-papers/WalMart_Impact_on_Ret ai l-Consolidation.pdf Sorry if this stuff is somewhat stupid, as I am just trying to come to grips with this rather large subject. The ebxml-dev list is sponsored by OASIS <http://www.oasis-open.org> The list archives are at http://lists.ebxml.org/archives/ebxml-dev/ To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list use the subscription manager: <http://www.oasis-open.org/mlmanage/>
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