Kacker ebXML Requirements

[Mike Rawlins <rawlins@metronet.com>]

Ravi Kacker requested that I post these to the listserv for him.

--
Michael C. Rawlins, Rawlins EDI Consulting
http://www.metronet.com/~rawlins/

					XML Requirements - Ravi Kacker		Jan 4,2000

Functional Requirements:
- A global open /interoperable standard for specifying a document markup language based on plain-text tags.

- ebXML standards should support syntax independent message design guidelines which will harmonize EDI and future XML architectures.

- ebXML  standards DTD's limitations for controlled customization and extensibility should be avoided.

- ebXML global standards should be common to support both vertical and horizontal segments of industry and business participants and should not impose any financial or software requirements constraints on the respective partners to buy, instal or programmatically support any software products in the conduct of business information exchange.

- ebXML standards should facilitate paper-less, electronic web /internet exchange of business information at the reasonable cost of internet service.

- There should be ONE and ONLY ONE ebXML standard for software developers, business partners to adopt and should be free of constraints such as Version Numbers to upgrade to or migrate to keep uptodate. Each Version revision should continue to support past revisions.

- Using ebXML defined standards, any parsing software tool can extract content  information exchanged between partners for processing by the receiver's  system  while displaying other content in different ways for viewers. The exchanged information in XML can also be viewed or displayed through available WEB browsers in the marketplace.

- This XML exchange of information should help facilitate:
- Business to Business commerce
Direct data  interface to an XML compliant software without any translation or application integration software effort
- Business to Consumer commerce
Deliver business information exchanged to be viewed with a browser or extracted for data interface within consumer parner system
- Consumer to Business commerce 
Deliver response in XML to business information exchanged to the Business partner for direct data interface to their XML compliant application.
- ebXML  standards if defined correctly  should be SIMPLE, EASY and UBIQUITOUS
- ebXML standards have to be defined and adopted  by mid-year 2000. Any delay or debate or search of a PERFECT process for its definition beyond mid-year 2000 will only help boost  fragmented XML efforts in variety of industry sectors and a true opportunity for a global standards will be LOST forever.
- The process for ebXML standards definition and approval should follow a FAST TRACK guideline without bunch of Committees, Task Group approvals issues that have invariably stalled this effort.