RE: Is EDI replaced by XML? a point of view

[Michael Fitzgerald <mike@wyeast.net>]

Example of EDI in XML: Commerce One's xCBL XML vocabulary pays very close
attention to preceding work on EDI. If you have a look at their online
reference http://www.xcbl.org/xcbl30/DTD/structureref/xCBLdtdrefframe.htm
and search for 'EDI' you'll get a good idea how EDI codelists can be
expressed in an XML vocabulary. Has XML replaced SGML. No, but XML casts a
shadow on SGML, i.e., "I don't really have to do this in SGML anymore...why
not go with XML?" Likewise, XML cast a shadow on EDI, i.e., "Why spend so
much $$$ on EDI infrastructure when I can do about the same thing with XML?"
If folks can do the same things they were doing with EDI with XML, well,
simpler, cheaper and quicker gets the attention of more executives than the
*perception* of complexity, cost, etc. Execs (the decision makers) see that
the engineering bills get paid. As always, I'm pretty interested to see
which way it goes. -Mike (p.s. I don't work for Commerce One!)

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Chiu [mailto:echiu@imservice.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 7:51 AM
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: Is EDI replaced by XML? a point of view


Extensible Markup Language (XML) has become the alternative choice for
defining data interchange formats in new eBusiness applications on the
Internet in the last few years. However, EDI implementations embody
substantial experience in business processes, and companies with large
investments in EDI integration will expect measurable ROI for the IT
investment.
XML enables more open, more flexible business transactions than EDI. XML
might enable more flexible and innovative "eMarketplace" business models
than EDI. The ebXML specifications provide a framework in which EDI's
substantial investments in business processes can be preserved in an
architecture that leverages XML's new technical capabilities.
By addressing the problem from the standpoint of business workflow, ebXML
technical architecture specifications standardizes common business processes
as objects. A cornerstone of ebXML architecture was allowing these objects
to be reused so that ebXML could provide for the means to unify
cross-industry exchanges with a single consistent dictionary of business
terms.
Eric Chiu