Synergy 2000 Chip Casanave President Data Access Corporation

IT evolution Task automation IT supports business process executed by people Intra-business automation IT hosts and executes business processes within the enterprise Inter-business automation IT hosts and executes business processes among enterprises

Inter-business automation Requires… Precise, shared process definitions Common repository for definitions Participant subscription to definitions Offers… Dramatic efficiencies Speed Spontaneous utilization Expanded opportunity

The eBusiness vision… A marketplace of eBusinesses and eCustomers Global business interaction over the internet Electronic, automated buying, selling, payment, support and service

Delivering the eBusiness vision A new, standard resource is required to facilitate the eBusiness vision… A standard means of expressing eBusiness communication A standard means of containing, transporting and representing eBusiness information A common method of extending legacy applications to eBusiness A common method of implementing new applications

Standards required Major business and technology expansions occur when global standards are adopted Industry examples… Automobiles – fuels, tires, operating protocols Freight - containerization Communications – Telephone, fax & cellular phones/devices eBusiness must standardize to realize its potential

Pressure for standards “Forrester Research has estimated that by 2003, fifty times the number of transactions will take place than took place in 1999 …so the need for rapid standardization of this [eBusiness] infrastructure is critical.” Robert Sutor, IBM delegate to ebXML

XML Fulfills the requirements of delivering the eBusiness vision Open, fully user definable and extensible Completely platform independent Offers open information without prior definition of how or where it will be used

XML offers… A facility for business process integration, transaction processing and data publishing across: Companies Partnerships Supply chains Entire markets

Industry support for XML IBM Microsoft Oracle Bluestone SUN Informix Ariba Netscape BEA Data Access Progress Allaire Inprise Many more…

XML – Rate of Adoption Faster than HTML – leveraged by HTML Competition in eBusiness marketplaces will drive companies to adopt XML eBusiness product and service demand will drive massive vendor investment in XML Vendor and platform agnostic… everybody wins when XML succeeds

XML share of B2B B2B Total B2B via XML – 40% US$ Billions Source: Zona Research 3/2000

Trading Partner Agreements XML itself is “only” a platform Trading partner agreements (TPA’s) define business processes contained in XML Common definitions of shared 2 or more eBusiness participants Can be public or private eBusiness process standardization Example: common purchase order format TPA’s enable eBusiness

XML Standards Organizations BizTalk.org

ebXML Goal: Creating a single, global electronic marketplace Sponsors… OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) UN/CEFACT (UN body facilitating trade and electronic business) Website:

ebXML Mission “To provide an open XML-based infrastructure enabling the global use of electronic business information in an interoperable, secure and consistent manner by all parties.” Important points Explicitly international in scope ebXML’s charter states that its infrastructure must serve small business & developing nations as well as large multinationals

Open solutions

Developer’s role Use XML to… Interface TPA’s to existing applications to facilitate eBusiness Build new applications to support eBusiness TPA’s Design for system-to-system (S2S) interaction Integrate cell phones, wireless devices and PDA’s into solutions

DAW’s Direction XML specific Deliver XML functionality First - Visual DataFlex 7 Next - WebApp Server Evolve with the XML community New facilities are being built on the XML base

DAW Direction Extend the technology core Support developers’ creation of eBusiness applications Tools Information Resources Offer professional services Support for WebApp on Linux Seek opportunities and partnerships to create new products and services

DAW direction Synergize! Create open development solutions for a changing world…

Thank you! Enjoy Synergy 2000