UN/CEFACT and OASIS Finalize Appointments to Joint Coordination Committee for ebXML; Oracle and Sterling Commerce Join ebXML Management.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

GENEVA & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2002

ebXML sponsors, UN/CEFACT and OASIS, announced that Arijit Sengupta of Oracle and Bill Burcham of Sterling Commerce have joined the ebXML Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), the management body responsible for overall supervision of ebXML development, adoption and implementation. While ebXML specifications are advanced by specific OASIS technical committees and UN/CEFACT project teams, both standards organizations remain committed to jointly managing ebXML strategic vision, technical architecture, and education.

Members of the ebXML JCC offer a balanced perspective, representing major Web services vendors, standards bodies, and government agencies. The committee is made up of five representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations. OASIS representatives include Arijit Sengupta of Oracle, Bill Burcham of Sterling Commerce, Simon Nicholson of Sun Microsystems, and Karl Best and Patrick Gannon of OASIS. Serving on behalf of UN/CEFACT are Klaus-Dieter Naujok of UN/CEFACT ebTWG and TWMG working groups, James Bryce Clark of McLure-Moynihan, Duane Nickull of XML Global, Ray Walker of the United Kingdom's Department of Trade and Industry, and Brian Hayes of Collaborative Domain.

"The ebXML framework -- available today and supported by a growing list of software vendors -- provides companies with a standard way to develop and deploy secure, reliable business-centric Web services," said Simon Nicholson of Sun Microsystems, who currently serves as chair of the ebXML JCC. "We're pleased to welcome Oracle and Sterling Commerce to the JCC and look forward to their input and continued support of ebXML development and adoption."

The ebXML JCC hosts joint meetings, where OASIS technical committees and UN/CEFACT project teams interface on related issues. The JCC also sponsors educational events, such as the recent 'Implementing ebXML' day at XML Europe 2002 in Barcelona.

In Support of the ebXML JCC

Brian Gibb, Director of Standards & Applied Technology said, "Sterling Commerce has advocated ebXML from its inception. We believe that ebXML is the most viable, comprehensive B2B framework available today. It has progressed past market awareness and vendor product implementation into industry adoption and deployment. It is now imperative that we coordinate the ongoing work of the ebXML project teams to maintain synergy across the overall initiative as customers begin to implement ebXML solutions. The ebXML JCC fulfills this critical mission, so naturally Sterling Comerce is pleased at Bill's appointment to the committee. As an ebXML vendor, we view this as an important progression of our ongoing contribution. ebXML is vital to our customers because it is the only e-business standard that provides a smooth transition path from the strength of EDI to business-centric Web services and beyond."

"The business community's growing support for ebXML is reflected in the commitment of notable organizations to ebXML and the ebXML JCC," said Brian Hayes of Collaborative Domain. "ebXML provides the opportunity to give business a voice in technology and to communicate business objectives in technical collaborations."

"Having Oracle and Sterling Commerce join the JCC as experts is a significant step event for ebXML," explained Duane Nickull of XML Global Technologies. "For the rapidly growing number of companies that are fast-tracking their ebXML implementations, the JCC is there to support their efforts and ensure technical coordination for all ebXML specifications. We welcome the expertise provided by Oracle and Sterling."

About ebXML

ebXML (www.ebXML.org), enables mission-critical Web services and transactional electronic commerce, allowing enterprises of any size and in any geographical location to conduct business over the Internet. Using ebXML, companies now have a set of standard methods to exchange business messages, conduct trading relationships, communicate data in common terms and define and register business processes. ebXML is sponsored by UN/CEFACT (www.uncefact.org), the United Nations body whose mandate covers worldwide policy and technical development in the area of trade facilitation and electronic business, and OASIS (http://www.oasis-open.org), a not-for-profit, global consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of e-business standards.