ASC X12 & EWG Develop ebXML-compliant Core Components Enabling Global Trade Using EDI in X12 & XML Formats.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2001

The Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 and the UN/EDIFACT Working Group (EWG) commenced work on their Joint Core Components (JCC) initiative to extend and maintain the core components work initiated by the Electronic Business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) effort.

The JCC initiative, which convened at the June 3-8 ASC X12 Standards Development Meeting in St. Louis, Mo., is developing a semantic foundation for electronic data interchange (EDI) in X12 and XML formats. The JCC will convene again at the EDIFACT Working Group meeting in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Sept. 10-14.

The JCC initiative is defining and validating a set of protocol-neutral and ebXML-compliant e-business syntaxes valid within both EDIFACT and X12, which serve as the underlying data building blocks useful for future development. The primary goals of the JCC are to provide a catalog of core components and harmonization between core component and business process modeling work.

"The progressive work of ASC X12 - its collaboration with EWG and the integration of business modeling and XML into the X12 standards development process - is enhancing global trade, reducing implementation costs of e-business standards, and extending the reach of e-business to small and midsize companies," said ASC X12 Chair David Barkley of Freddie Mac.

ASC X12 approved at its June Standards Development Meeting a new project proposal (PP) from the X12 Finance Subcommittee for the development of:

-- Transaction Set (TS) 259, Residential Mortgage Insurance

Explanation of Benefits, which is slated to transmit the

results of a claim for mortgage insurance benefits between a

mortgage insurer and the customer receiving the financial

benefit. This TS will be used for transmitting the results of

both pool and primary mortgage insurance claims.

Committee representatives completed work on the next ASC X12 Version 4, Release 4, Subrelease 2, which includes 313 transaction sets and is scheduled for publication in July 2001. ASC X12 is also balloting the following new X12 TS, which will likely appear in the December annual release:

-- Transaction Set (TS) 424, Rail Carrier Services Settlement,

developed by the X12 Transportation Subcommittee, is used to

provide details between railroads for charges associated with

a variety of rail services. This transaction set will help

streamline settlement functions between railroads for

performing junction settlement or switching services.

To complement committee efforts, ASC X12 is providing its essential expertise to the Data Interchange Standards Association Registry Initiative (DRIve), which is seeking contributions of software, systems, and technical expertise to create the architecture for and operations of a registry of data objects developed by standards organizations affiliated with DISA.

The DRIve registry will meet the requirements of the ebXML Registry Services Specification, version 1.0, and the Registry Information Model, version 1.0, approved on May 11. DRIve will also follow other approved ebXML specifications and technical reports affecting the operation of the registry.

Mark your calendar for the next ASC X12 Standards Development Meetings, Sept. 30-Oct. 5 at the Hyatt Regency Miami, Fla. Registration is free for ASC X12 members and $225 for nonmembers. To register for this meeting, call 703/548-7005 or e-mail [e-mail].

ASC X12, comprised of cross-industry representation and accredited by the American National Standards Institute, develops the most robust e-business exchange standards that interact with a multitude of e-commerce technologies and serve as the premier tool for integrating electronic applications.

Through standards setting and active participation in emerging and technically relevant initiatives, ASC X12 facilitates the effective exchange of electronic information.

Propelling global e-business, ASC X12 serves as the entry point for the United States into the United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT), an international standard relating to the exchange of trade goods and services. To learn more about ASC X12, visit www.x12.org or call 703/548-7005.

DISA is home to ASC X12 and affiliated groups developing cross-industry e-business standards that provide the foundation enabling individuals and organizations to participate in global e-business. Driving an array of e-business initiatives, DISA provides technical and administrative support to its Affiliates:

-- ASC X12

-- OpenTravel Alliance

-- Interactive Financial eXchange Forum

-- Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association

-- Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization

-- Open Philanthropy eXchange Forum

-- XML/EDI Group

To learn more about DISA, visit www.disa.org or call 703/548-7005.