HR-XML Consortium Announces Release of 3.0 XML Standards.

Consortium's 10(th) Anniversary, 3.0 Standards Focus of Luncheon at HR Technology([R]) on Oct. 2(nd)

CHICAGO -- The HR-XML Consortium today announced the availability of its new XML standards, the HR-XML 3.0 Release. This new version of the HR-XML standards aligns its schemas for human resources interoperability applications with the Open Applications Group implementation of UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) core components, making them more universal than ever.

The HR-XML 3.0 standards will be a topic of discussion at the HR-XML Tenth Anniversary Celebration Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago on October 2nd, conducted in conjunction with the annual HR Technology([R]) Conference. The luncheon, which begins at 11:45 a.m., will celebrate ten years of the HR-XML Consortium's accomplishments in promoting interoperability among HR solutions. Industry thought leaders Jim Holincheck and Jason Averbook will be among those who share their perspectives on the future importance of standards and cooperation across vendors and applications in human resources, as well as the role that this new release will play.

"The 3.0 release is a modernization of HR-XML standards," said Mark Cates, an executive board member of the HR-XML Consortium, who played a leading role in compiling and developing the 3.0 standards. "More importantly, the release represents the building of relationships with the standards bodies of other industries. We are now consulting, directly and indirectly, with peers in other vertical industries. This will only enhance data sharing and interoperability within our industry."

The new standards were created with the goal of greatly improving data and knowledge transfer. For example, schemas from HR-XML can now be utilized within the standard toolsets of software developers for most major vendors. In addition, developers working in the IT departments of large corporations will also have an easier time understanding, integrating, and writing applications for HR using HR-XML schemas, which have become the standard for OAGIS in the HR vertical industry.

"It took more than 40 member companies working together for nearly 18 months to bring this new release to fruition," Cates said. "This is not merely an update to our prior releases. It's a new version that allows us to clean up a lot of issues and remove inconsistencies in data formats that formed over the years. It is a real step forward for the entire industry."

The HR-XML Consortium is the only independent standards body that establishes common language for HR-related applications and promotes the awareness and adoption of HR interoperability standards. These standards allow for the smooth exchange of data between stakeholders and partners. The HR-XML Consortium has produced a comprehensive library of interdependent XML schemas. These schemas define the data elements for particular HR transactions, as well as options and constraints governing the use of those elements. The HR-XML Consortium has produced schemas covering major Human Resource processes, as well as component schemas, used across multiple business processes.

"In the ecosystem of 'Human Resources' there is never just one application," said Romuald Restout, President of the HR-XML Consortium. "Our work at the Consortium has reduced the cost of the development and support of these applications. Data is shared faster. From an end-user perspective, this means that HR teams get the flexibility to choose across multiple vendors, focusing on 'best of breed' applications as opposed to worrying about interoperability."

About HR-XML Consortium:

The HR-XML Consortium is the only independent, non-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to the development and promotion of a standard suite of XML specifications to enable e-business and the automation of human resources-related data exchanges. The Consortium is the recognized authority on, and leading provider of, global HR interoperability standards. Driven by the needs and priorities of its members, the HR-XML Consortium leads the development of robust, extensible, global HR interoperability standards enabling easy-to-implement, time- and cost-effective integration of business applications within the HR industry. The Consortium partners with its membership, the HR industry, and other relevant standards organizations to ensure alignment with business needs, trends in the HR industry, and related technologies. For more information, visit: www.hr-xml.org.