Comparing the features for B2B of ebXML ebMS, AS2/EDIINI, VAN, WS-I/WSDl web services

New resource that provides comparisons for B2B between the transport options available.

Decision makers can now review the strengths and weaknesses for B2B of ebXML ebMS, AS2/EDIINI, VAN, WS-I/WSDl web services and apply their own decision weighting criteria to obtain an overall suitability scoring for their own use.

This an open resource provided by OASIS technical committee members to foster better understanding of the parameters surrounding B2B technology use.

IBM adds native ebXML v2.0 support to WebSphere v6.1!

IBM announced yesterday that it has released v6.1 of WebSphere and top of the list of new features are all ebXML!

The IBM developer site notes on the new release headline these "Whats New" features:

• ebXML Messaging Service (ebMS) 2.0 used in Canada, Europe, and Asia, and in healthcare and auto industries, and support for the ebMS 2.0 Basic Profile
  
• ebMS 2.0 XML Encryption Profile, designed to test message-based encryption. The technical details of this profile are based on requirements and methods originally defined by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which uses ebMS in its Public Health Information Network applications
  
• ebMS 2.0 Automotive Retail Profile, based upon requirements and recommendations from the STAR consortium (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), which includes testing of gzip-based compression
  
• ebXML Collaboration Protocol Profile and Agreement (CPPA), which supports the import of CPPAs to automate the exchange and implementation of structured trading partner agreements

They have also made enhancements to the trading partner management and import/export - presumably to support the use of CPA profiles.

Overall this looks like a very significant release with enhanced B2B capabilities for messaging, transformation, business process and more and that is likely to accelerate customers migration to the V6.1 release and provide them with ability to exploit ebXML.

OrionSMG integrates CAM templates and jCAM validation services

Users of the OrionSMG ebXML messaging server can now also take advantage of validation templates to handle their transaction content checking requirements.

For more information see: http://www.orionsmg.com/wiki/doku.php?id=jcam_plugin

OrionSMG is available for Windows, Mac OS X and *nix platforms.

Ruby and ebXML messaging - Announcement of HefeWeizen, a Free and Open Source Software ebMS BETA

The beta release of HefeWeizen for Ruby - that supports ebXML ebMS (Messaging Service Specification version 2.0) and CPA (Collaboration Protocol Agreement and Profile Specification version 2.0) was made today.

The main resource website is : http://dev.havanawave.com/repos/HefeWeizen for those interested in trying this early release for themselves.

Features include:

• ebMS 2.0 support
• Reliable messaging
• XML digital signature
• XML encryption
• HTTP and HTTP(s) support (server and client authentication)
• SMTP (in planning)
• ebCPPA 2.0
• Configuration of trading partners via ebXML CPA's

Requirements:

• Ruby Programming Language (http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/)
• some Ruby gems (installer checks dependencies)
• Linux/Unix
• uses libxml2, libxmlsec1 C libraries

Status: Beta

T-Mobile: ebXML use to double in 2007 - White Paper

As of December 2006, T-Mobile International has been operating a production ebXML-based B2B gateway for over two years. The number of business partners connected to the gateway is expected to double in 2007, as the system will be used to serve more of the geographies in which T-Mobile operates.

The gateway currently processes approximately one thousand ebXML B2B messages per hour from ten business partners of T-Mobile and other business units of Deutsche Telekom, T-Com, and T-Systems.

The original requirements were for "... the ability to exchange business data in any format (XML, EDI, PDF), without pre-defined limitations in message size in a reliable and secure fashion among T-Mobile and its business partners, using an open standard implemented in commercial off-the-shelf products". The ebXML solution from Axway (formally Cyclone Commerce) was selected for T-Mobile use.

The new OASIS case study on the T-Mobile experience notes - "One of the key benefits is that while ebXML is a powerful technology, it is at the same time minimally intrusive to existing applications. This means that existing systems and exchanges can be made to benefit from a reliable and secure ebXML infrastructure easily, with limited or no changes to back-end enterprise applications".

The report notes in summary: "In retrospect, the overall experience with ebXML at T-Mobile has been very positive. If the decision would have to be made today, T-Mobile would again select ebXML".

You can read the full inside story to the T-Mobile / Deutsche Telekom experience with ebXML in the OASIS commissioned case study white paper.