XML and e-commerce
ebXML is a set of specifications for doing business over the Internet, jointly sponsored by UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, www.unece.org/cefact/) and OASIS. As its name suggests ebXML uses XML as a way of exchanging structured data.
One of the aims is to involve small and medium-sized enterprises in e-commerce, and consequently developers of shrink-wrapped software are being encouraged to support ebXML.
Another aim is to create a single vocabulary that can be used across industries and functions, to avoid the need for individual businesses to support multiple vocabularies. Industry consortia that have already defined XML vocabularies are being encouraged to meet ebXML standards.
Ultimately, ebXML may supplant EDI: if current EDI users adopt ebXML in order to widen the range of partners with whom they can perform electronic transactions, it's not obvious why they would want to support two separate interfaces that serve essentially the same purpose.
