CommerceOne.net and XML: The XML Revolution

The Web provides people with unprecedented access to online information and services. Though great for delivering easily viewed information, the HTML encoding in which most Web information is delivered is difficult for computer systems and automated processes to use. Clever programmers have worked around some of the inherent limitations of HTML by using server-side HTML extensions for sell-side commerce applications and web page scraping to extract content for buy-side applications. The result, however, is a world of sell-side and buy-side applications with proprietary formats and taxonomies for describing and organizing products and other services.

Fortunately, with the advent of the Extensible Markup Language, or XML, it is possible to encode information and services with meaningful structure and semantics that computers can readily understand. Companies are beginning to use XML documents to publish everything from product catalogs and airline schedules to stock reports and bank statements. Many are also using XML forms to place orders, book reservations, and schedule shipments.

By eliminating the need for custom interfaces with every customer and supplier, XML enables suppliers to publish their catalog information once and allow buyers to compare products across many vendors and catalog formats. Any XML application with the proper authorizations will be able to obtain computer-interpretable data sheets, price lists, and inventory reports via the Web or email, and then proceed to request quotes, place orders and track shipments. Sell-side and buy-side applications biased for the benefit of buyers and suppliers will be replaced by open markets and trading communities in which businesses can build upon each other's published content and services.

CommerceOne.net enables companies to easily conduct business by providing an open exchange of catalog content, purchase orders, invoices, and other business documents.

XML and EDI

In the past, most business-to-business commerce information was exchanged automatically using Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, messages built using X12 and EDIFACT specified standard data elements and document models. However, EDI tends to be complex and expensive.

To overcome some of EDI's weaknesses, many companies and initiatives are working to transfer EDI concepts and specifications to XML and the Internet so EDI transactions can be transported as Internet XML/EDI messages. To be effective, XML/EDI needs to be more than EDI messages wrapped in XML brackets without any XML encoding of the message semantics. Most XML/EDI efforts fail to take advantage of the power of XML for validation, structure and format translation, and reuse of information components.

To improve on previous industry efforts, CommerceOne.net leverages Commerce One expertise in both XML and EDI to support XML/EDI in a way that preserves investments in EDI, but offers substantial benefits to companies not currently using EDI. Commerce One is also working with standards bodies and working groups to build marketplace interconnectivity documents. The CommerceOne.net XML business documents will comply with the standards from the CommerceNet eCo framework project, an industry group of expert XML architects developing a specification for interoperable commerce applications.

Getting to XML

XML catalogs and business document exchange will revolutionize electronic commerce. The question is not whether to adopt XML, but how to successfully adopt it given current catalog formats, publishing methods, and production technologies. Commerce One is working to establish a common standard, xCBL, to bridge these formats and accelerate the adoption of e-commerce.