Technology: XML Revisited - ' XML Fact Sheet '
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XML Fact Sheet
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By giving companies the ability to share data both internally and externally, XML can provide a significant boost to strategies based on reengineering internal and external business processes, rationalizing supply chains and connecting more seamlessly with customers. But Byzantine standards have been a drag on adoption, so jump in with your eyes wide open.
XML Lets Companies...
- Share documents between workgroups
- Generate standardized invoices and other forms inexpensively
- Access databases with different formats
- Build flexible Web sites accessible through a variety of media
- Define and automate shared business processes
Advantages
- Cost reduction: Moving from paper-based to automated processes can reduce labor costs.
- Speed: Implementing XML can speed up the execution of business processes.
- Standardization: In industries where standards are solidified, trading partners can initiate new relationships with minimal resources.
Disadvantages
- Lack of standardization: Many industries haven't yet agreed on standards.
- Lack of interindustry support: Few industries have standards for interacting with other industries—and won't for some time.
- Too much flexibility: XML is so flexible that users are tempted to try solving too many problems at once.
Industries
- RosettaNet: A consortium of more than 400 companies building standards for the electronics industry.
- FIXML: Extends the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) protocol for securities transactions.
- ACORD: Standards for the insurance industry.
- COVISINT: Auto industry consortium setting supply chain XML and e-commerce standards.
Major Players
- Microsoft Corp's. BizTalk Server: Currently, the leading XML vendor.
- Software AG's Tamino XML Server: The leading native XML database system. Has been an early implementor of W3C's XQuery.
- Ipedo Inc.'s Ipedo XML DB 2.0: A native XML database system that has won recognition for its data integration capabilities.
- Ixiasoft's TEXTML Server: A native XML database emphasizing flexible, dynamic information storage and retrieval of XML documents.
- X-Hive Corp.'s X-Hive/DB: A database that supports multiple versions of XML documents.
- dbXML: A native XML database for use by open source developers produced by the dbXML Project.
Resources
www.w3.org/XML
The World Wide Web Consortium's central XML site
www.xml.org
A site for XML standards coordination, sponsored by OASIS
www.oasis-open.org
Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, a sponsor of ebXML
www.xml.com
An O'Reilly & Assoc. Inc. XML portal
www.oasis-open.org/cover
A reference list of XML standards and activities
www.acord.org
Insurance industry standards
www.rosettanet.org
Electronics industry XML standards
www.openapplications.org
Open Applications Group, the sponsor of 122 XML standards
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