Fwd: Re: interoperability demos at XML 2003

[Alan Kotok <akotok@disa.org>]

TO: JMT

For the XML 2003 conference, IDEAlliance will make available facilities for 
industry groups to stage interoperability demonstrations like the kind we 
had at the ebXML Showcase in London last month.

IDEAlliance's original idea was to put them in the expo area and to run the 
demos up to five times, which convinced me that no one involved in that 
decision had ever organized or staged an interoperability demo.  After a 
couple of message exchanges with Lauren Wood (see below), IDEAlliance will 
now make a theatre area available for a single (what Lauren calls a 
big-bang) demo.  This is a much more reasonable and feasible idea.

In any event, do we want to encourage our constituents to stage a demo like 
we had in London?  It is not a decision to be taken lightly, but as we saw 
in London, if it works, it is dynamite for public affairs purposes.

Alan Kotok
Editor, < E-Business*Standards*Today />
http://www.disa.org/dailywire/
Data Interchange Standards Association
akotok@disa.org
+1 703-518-4174



>From: "Lauren Wood" <lauren@textuality.com>
>Organization: Textuality
>To: Alan Kotok <akotok@disa.org>
>Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 10:44:01 -0700
>Subject: Re: interoperability demos at XML 2003
>Reply-to: lauren@textuality.com
>CC: melledge@idealliance.org,
>               jharnad@idealliance.org
>Priority: normal
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>
>Hi Alan,
>
>what we're going to do is set up a theatre where standards
>organizations can do a "big-bang" demo (once) of the sort you want.
>If you also wish a booth large enough to do smaller interop demos on
>(which would run more often), that's fine too, but there is no
>obligation to do this. We will be in charge of scheduling the single
>big-bang demo to fit in with the rest of the conference.
>
>Does that meet your concerns?
>
>regards,
>
>Lauren
>
>On 4 Jun 2003 Alan Kotok wrote:
>
> > Lauren:
> >
> > Please do.
> >
> > Alan Kotok
> > Editor, < E-Business*Standards*Today />
> > http://www.disa.org/dailywire/
> > Data Interchange Standards Association
> > akotok@disa.org
> > +1 703-518-4174
> >
> >
> >
> > At 08:52 AM 6/4/03 -0700, Lauren Wood wrote:
> > >Do I have your permission to forward your email to the Planning
> > >Committee so we can discuss this in our next phone call?
> > >
> > >regards,
> > >
> > >Lauren
> > >
> > >On 4 Jun 2003 Alan Kotok wrote:
> > >
> > > > Lauren, Marion, Jane:
> > > >
> > > > Thank you for the clarifications about the interoperability
> > > > demonstrations.  Having put on two of these exercises so far, I 
> agree that
> > > > that they provide compelling evidence of value for XML (or any)
> > > > applications and deserve the largest possible audiences.
> > > >
> > > > On the two occasions I have been responsible for staging an
> > > > interoperability demo, we used the demos as main attractions for the
> > > larger
> > > > events.  In each case, we scheduled the demo for the prime time of the
> > > > conference, or in the case of the ebXML demo in London at the point
> > > when we
> > > > anticipated the largest audience.  Given the considerable time and 
> energy
> > > > that goes into planning and conducting an interoperability demo, we
> > > thought
> > > > it was only fair for the companies putting them on that we get the 
> largest
> > > > possible audience.  And, in each case, we got a great response from the
> > > > audience.
> > > >
> > > > I say all of this because it appears for XML 2003 that the
> > > interoperability
> > > > demos are planned for the exhibit hall, which has a transient and
> > > > fluctuating audience.  Please reconsider this plan.  First, any 
> meaningful
> > > > demonstration will offer realistic and complex business scenarios that
> > > > require time to explain.  A transient audience is not likely to get the
> > > > whole story and thus not appreciate the message flow based on those
> > > > scenarios.  Second, the visual aspects of the demos by themselves 
> are not
> > > > that compelling (e.g., XML instances).  It is only in the context 
> of the
> > > > business scenarios that they have the punch.  Thus demos in the exhibit
> > > > hall may not have near the impact that they  would have on stationary
> > > > (conference session) audiences.
> > > >
> > > > If you want to have demos of this kind as part of XML 2003, I urge 
> you to
> > > > put them in the program as part of the regular conference and not the
> > > > expo.  In this way, the audiences can get the full meaning of the
> > > > demonstrations and the participants in the demos can reach the largest
> > > > possible audiences, given the work that goes into putting them 
> on.  Best
> > > > regards.
> > > >
> > > > Alan Kotok
> > > > Editor, < E-Business*Standards*Today />
> > > > http://www.disa.org/dailywire/
> > > > Data Interchange Standards Association
> > > > akotok@disa.org
> > > > +1 703-518-4174
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > At 02:10 PM 6/3/03 -0700, Lauren Wood wrote:
> > > > >On 3 Jun 2003 Alan Kotok wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Lauren:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you for the invitation to take part in the interoperability
> > > > > > demonstrations at XML 2003.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I have a question about one part of the message ...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > <excerpt>
> > > > > > If the demos are staged, they should be shown at least twice on 
> the
> > > main
> > > > > > exhibition days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and once on Thursday.
> > > > > > </excerpt>
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Do I read that sentence correctly that you want the demonstrations
> > > to be
> > > > > > staged five times -- twice each on Tuesday and Wednesday and 
> once on
> > > > > > Thursday?  I do not recall if you saw the ebXML demo in
> > > London.  The demo
> > > > > > involved four different vendors sending messages through a steel
> > > industry
> > > > > > e-marketplace.  It ran 90 minutes and took two hours to set up, 
> and
> > > months
> > > > > > of preparation.
> > > > >
> > > > >I agree that running a 90 minute demonstration 5 times would be a
> > > > >lot. But I think we would want it to run more than once as well,
> > > > >since we do get a certain number of people who show up only for one
> > > > >day, and that might not be the right day. Once the set-up is in
> > > > >place, can it not be reused? We were imagining having the same demo
> > > > >being run a few times, rather than a whole set of different ones.
> > > > >
> > > > > > If you want to demonstrate even a few real-life business 
> processes,
> > > with
> > > > > > multiple vendors (the reason for interoperability demos), I would
> > > > > recommend
> > > > > > rethinking that kind of schedule.  Conducting even one of these
> > > > > > demonstrations is a major undertaking. Best regards.
> > > > >
> > > > >I agree it's a major undertaking, so we want to make sure as many
> > > > >people as possible can see it. Rerunning the same demo (or maybe
> > > > >doing one big run and then running smaller parts, if that's possible)
> > > > >should make it easier for lots of people to see. I'm sure at least
> > > > >some people missed out in London because they couldn't make it for
> > > > >that one scheduled period.
> > > > >
> > > > >regards,
> > > > >
> > > > >Lauren