Cataloguing the ebXML ISO15000 standards functionality today

The ebXML JCC Joint Coordinating Committee has produced a document for the five year anniversary that details the current status of the original ebXML components, all but one of which has now achieved ISO15000 standardization (the fifth component - BPSS - is currently being moved through the OASIS member approval process prior to referral to ISO also).

The document details in separate chapters each of the five components, gives a synopsis of its development status, features and brief details of illustrative adoptions and fielded applications.

Overall the document provides a useful snapshot for people wanting to quickly review ebXML, its components and capabilities.

In addition to this work OASIS also has other committees working on related aspects to ebXML such as the ebSOA - Service Oriented Architecture, BCM - Business-Centric Methodology and CAM - Content Assembly Mechanism work.

Overview of the new ebXML Business Process V2.0.3

Business processes are key components to enable and drive collaborating partner relationships for electronic business (eBusiness). The ebXML Business Process Specification Schema (ebXML BPSS / OASIS ebBP) provides capabilities to drive those eBusiness collaborative processes.

Full details on the technology aspects are available in the OASIS ebBP/BPSS white paper.

As a part of the original eBusiness eXtensible Markup Language (XML) [ebXML] framework of specifications the ebBP (ebXML Business Process Specification Schema) defines a standard language to configure business systems for business collaboration execution between collaborating parties or business partners. It provides:

• Standard and extensible business transaction patterns
• Support for modular definitions to complex nested activities
• Support for use of web service, hybrid and ebXML assets
• Semantic tailoring for business processes and business documents
• Scripting in XML syntax and mechanisms across the implementation stack
  

The changes and capabilities defined in the v2.0.x packages have substantially increased the business value-add for using standard process definitions. These definitions support tailoring of eBusiness processes and business documents to serve our user community.

The ebBP focuses on an integrated eBusiness adaptable approach in order to support heterogeneous environments, particularly Small- to Medium-Enterprises. As with other specifications and capabilities, ebBP can be leveraged with other ebXML and/or emerging web services technologies.

Currently the OASIS ebBP v2.0.3 set of packages are a committee specification and pending the approval process as a full OASIS standard.