[Update 2005-06]: Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) Version 2 Specification was published in 2005 as IETF Network Working Group, Standards Track Request for Comments (RFC) #4112. See the I-D Tracker.

This is the second version of an Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) and is intended to meet the requirements of RFC 3505 [Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Requirements]. Electronic commerce frequently requires a substantial exchange of information in order to complete a purchase or other transaction, especially the first time the parties communicate. A standard set of hierarchically-organized payment-related information field names in an XML syntax is defined so that this task can be more easily automated... ECML provides a set of hierarchical payment-oriented data structures that will enable automated software, including electronic wallets from multiple vendors, to supply and query for needed data in a more uniform manner.

[April 28, 2001] IETF Internet Draft documents have been published for version 2 of the Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML), including an XML DTD. The Electronic Commerce Modeling Language "provides a set of hierarchical payment oriented data structures that will enable automated software, including electronic wallets, from multiple vendors to supply neede data in a more uniform manner. ECML Version 2.0 extends ECML versions 1.0 and 1.1 (IETF RFCs) as described in the Appendix of the new specification. The ECML Standard provides the definition and naming of a hierarcically structured set of fields and the provision of an XML syntax for their transmition. These fields can be encoded in other syntaxes and transmitted via a variety of protocols." The goal of ECML Version 2.0 is presented in the specification abstract: "Electronic commerce frequently requires a substantial exchange of information in order to complete a purchase or other transaction, especially the first time the parties communicate. A standard set of hierarchicly organized payment related information fields in an XML syntax are [herein] defined as the second version of an Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) so that this task can be more easily automated, for example by wallet software... The ECML fields were initially derived from the W3C P3P base data schema by the ECML Alliance. Technical development and change control of ECML has now been transfered to the IETF. In version 2, ECML is extended by the fields in a W3C P3P Note related to eCommerce, by ISO 8583, and by other sources. Its primary form will be an XML syntax. ECML Version 2.0 is not a replacement or alternative to TLS/SSL, SET, EMV, XML, or IOTP; these are important standards that provide functionality such as confidentiality, non-repudiatable transactions, automatable payment scheme selection, and smart card support."

Specification V2 bibliographic information: Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Specification. IETF Internet Draft 'draft-ietf-trade-ecml2-spec-00.txt'. By Jon W. Parsons (American Express). February 2001; expires August 2001. 19 pages. Section 2.2 supplies the ECML version 2 XML DTD.

Specification Version 2 abstract: "Electronic commerce frequently requires a substantial exchange of information in order to complete a purchase or other transaction, especially the first time the parties communicate. A standard set of hierarchicly organized payment related information fields in an XML syntax are defined as the second version of an Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) so that this task can be more easily automated, for example by wallet software."

Bibliographic information, ECML-2 requirements: "Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Requirements." IETF Internet Draft 'draft-ietf-trade-ecml2-req-01.txt'. By Jon W. Parsons (SeraNova), David Shepherd (IBM), and Donald E. Eastlake 3rd (Motorola). March 2001; expires September 2001. 9 pages. [cache]

Abstract: "This document lists the design principles, scope, and requirements for the Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) version 2 specification. It includes requirements as they relate to XML syntax, data model, format, payment processing, and external requirements."

From the V2 Requirements document Introduction: "ECML Version 2.0 will describe the syntax of a class of data objects called Payment Processing Objects. This will involve the development a hierarchically organized set of data elements and an XML syntax for payment transaction information for both electronic wallets and Business to Business payment types such as credit card, check, line of credit, ACH (Automated Clearing House,) Mobile Phone Payments, and PDA Payments. This document lists the design principles, scope, and requirements over three things: (1) the scope of work available to the WG, (2) the ECML version 2 specification, and (3) applications that implement the specification. It includes requirements as they relate to the payment element syntax, data model, format, implementation, and external requirements."

Other description from the V2 Requirements document: "The specification must describe the fields necessary to process a payment describing the XML syntax and content in particular... XML Data Model and Syntax: A well-formed DTD needs to be developed to include new fields in this standard; a W3C Schema note may be drafted to document changes to the schema. The specification will increase the flexibility of the standard to include other forms of payments. These include ACH, Mobile Phone, PDA, Line of Credit, Purchasing Card and eCheck. [It will] allow for use of a common and uniform DTD with back-end payment systems such as Enterprise Resource Provision [ERP], Card Line Item Detail [LID] Level II & Level III, etc.; it will allow for use of the standard with B2B payment vehicles, such as B2B Wallets, Marketplaces, etc."

Rationale from the ECML version 2 specification Introduction: "Today, numerous partries are successfully conducting business on the Internet using ad hoc fields and forms. The data formats and structure can vary considerably from one party to another. Where forms are filled out manually, many users find the diversity confusing and the process of manually filling in these forms to be tedious and error prone. Software tools including electronic wallets can help this situation. Such tools can assist in conducting online transactions by storing billing, shipping, payment, preference, and similar information and using this information to automatically complete the data sets required by interactions. For examplte, software that fills out forms has been successfully built into browsers, as proxy servers, as helper applications to browsers, as stand-alone applications, as browser plug-ins, and as server-based applications. But the proliferation of more automated transactions software has been hampered by the lack of standards..."

"ECML is an open specification for the exchange of order and payment information. The specific coding of online order form-field information like names, addresses and credit card information can be formatted in a standardized manner. This will facilitate the form filling performed by most digital wallets, enabling them to automatically recognize the order forms on ECML-enabled web sites. The ECML Alliance seeks to improve the online shopping experience for consumers and merchants, and to contribute to the growth of online commerce by creating a universal standard called Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML)." Plans call for Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to maintain the ECML specification. [from the online FAQ document]

The Genesis of ECML: ECML, a universal format for online checkout form data fields, was announced in June 1999. ECML provides a simple set of guidelines for web merchants that enables digital wallets from multiple vendors to automate the exchange of information between consumers and merchants. The end-result is more consumers will find shopping on the web to be easy and compelling. Founding members that comprise the ECML Alliance Steering Committee are: America Online, American Express, Brodia, Compaq, CyberCash, Discover, FSTC, IBM, MasterCard, Microsoft, Novell, SETCo, Sun Microsystems, Trintech, and Visa U.S.A.

References:

• IETF Trade working group
• "Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Specification." By Donald E. Eastlake 3rd (Motorola Laboratories) and Jon W. Parsons (American Express Corporation). IETF Internet Draft. Reference: 'draft-ietf-trade-ecml2-spec-05.txt'. November 2002, expires June 2003. "Electronic commerce frequently requires a substantial exchange of information in order to complete a purchase or other transaction, especially the first time the parties communicate. A standard set of hierarchically organized payment related information fields in an XML syntax are defined as the second version of an Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) so that this task can be more easily automated, for example by wallet software..." [cache]
• XML DTD from spec05 'draft-ietf-trade-ecml2-spec-05.txt'. November 2002.
• Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Specification. Spec 00.
• ECML version 2 XML DTD [from section 2.2]
• "Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML): Version 2 Requirements."
• ECML v1.1: Field Specifications for E-Commerce [alt URL, cache]
• The ECML Alliance
• ECML Alliance FAQ document
• ECML specifications
• ECML news
• See: Using P3P for E-Commerce. W3C Note, 29 November 1999. [cache]
• See: "Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP)."
• See: Secure Channel Credit/Debit ECML V2.0 Specification
• See: Secure Electronic Transaction
• [July 06, 1999] "GlobeID Delivers First Implementation of Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) Standard. First ECML Transaction Implemented As GlobeID Adopts Emerging Standard." - "GlobeID, one of the leading vendors of world class electronic commerce transaction solutions, has performed the world's first secure Internet purchases using the Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) standard. The transaction, which took place on Tuesday 6 July 1999, was run at GlobeID's Paris office. The ECML format was announced in early June by a consortium of major technology companies, including AOL, IBM, Microsoft, Compaq, CyberCash and others, along with Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Until now no real-time transaction application has been conducted. GlobeID has become the first to do so. GlobeID's @dvanced Payment Solution Suite is a world class advanced Internet payment solution providing the financial services industry, payment aggregators and large billers with a strategic foundation to enter the electronic commerce market. ECML, the new proposed standard, is [so?] a set of Extensible Markup Language (XML) tags that merchants will be asked to use on their merchant servers to make form completion easier. In a recent research study Jupiter Communications cited that 27% of all on-line shopping carts are abandoned due to the time taken to fill out forms. . ." [local archive copy]
• The W3C has acknowledged a submission from Microsoft and Citibank, N.A on Using P3P for E-Commerce. Reference: W3C Note, 29-November-1999, edited by Joe Coco, Saul Klein, Dan Schutzer, San-Yuan Yen, and Alan Slater. "P3P [Platform for Privacy Preferences] does not currently have a data schema that allows merchants to express privacy practices or present to users P3P proposals for data required as part of an electronic commerce transaction. Given that online shopping is one of the most popular uses of the Internet, it is important for P3P to address ecommerce. The proposal being submitted herein provides an ECML compliant ecommerce schema and some simple privacy and security guidelines businesses can follow when using P3P to express ecommerce privacy practices and proposals. This document describes how P3P can be extended to support e-commerce. Specifically, we: (1) Define how the Ecommerce Modeling Language (ECML) can be used within P3P; (2) Define schema for additional elements that are not part of ECML 1.0; (3) identify privacy and security guidelines that merchants and technology companies can optionally employ to make e-commerce safer for both consumers and merchants. The document does not define schema or address privacy/security issues associated with other sensitive data (e.g., medical information, social security number, etc). In addition, this document does not define ECML -- ECML was developed separately by the members of the ECML consortium." Coded examples in XML instance syntax are provided in the document section 'Expressing ECML using the P3P XML Schema Notation' and in a formal P3P XML schema definition for a sample extended schema. Note that the 'last call' W3C Working Draft (The Platform for Privacy Preferences 1.0 (P3P1.0) Specification) was published on November 02, 1999. "P3P policies use an XML encoding of the P3P vocabulary to identify the legal entity making the representation of privacy practices in a policy, enumerate the types of data or data elements collected, and explain how the data will be used. In addition, policies identify the data recipients, indicate whether or not the data will be used in an identifiable way, and make a variety of other disclosures including whether or not a site has a data retention policy, information about assuring parties, and the address of a site's human-readable privacy policy."