The Business Internet Consortium recently announced that RosettaNet has joined the Consortium in order "to help drive XML standard convergence activities in the industry." The Business Internet Consortium is an open-industry group formed to develop cross-industry eBusiness implementation guidelines, facilitated especially within its XML-based eBusiness Standard Convergence Workgroup. The XML working group was formed "to bring clarity by defining the generic layers and the corresponding recommended XML standards of a complete B2B, XML-based solution stack that is standardized, comprehensive, and interoperable, and to develop an implementation path." Details from the announcement: "RosettaNet's membership [in the Business Internet Consortium] pairs the efforts of these two leading eBusiness consortia to effectively promote supply chain interoperability. RosettaNet brings a substantial body of eBusiness XML standards expertise, research and results to the Business Internet Consortium's effort. RosettaNet represents more than 400 companies committed to the implementation of eBusiness process standards for the information technology, electronic components and semiconductor manufacturing industries. By joining the Business Internet Consortium, RosettaNet will share its learning with other industries looking to standardize their respective business processes. The Business Internet Consortium XML-based eBusiness Standard Convergence Workgroup is incorporating customer requirements to develop a generic XML-based standards reference stack and best practice guidelines for B2B processes, as well as a roadmap for businesses to migrate to the stack. The Workgroup expects to make recommendations to various standards bodies, such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and OASIS."

Business Internet Consortium XML Workgroup. The 'Workgroup for XML-based eBusiness Standard Convergence' was formed against the backdrop of this problem: "Although the promise of XML as providing easy, affordable, interoperable B2B solutions has its merit, the current reality is that XML's numerous and diverse 'standards' make it impossible to piece it together into one, functioning solution stack." Among the proposed workgroup deliverables: "(1) Definition of the generic layers of the stack in support of business requirements; this stack will describe discrete layers of functionality required to meet most B2B interactions; (2) A map of existing and emerging XML standards to each layer; (3) A roadmap that enables businesses to adopt short term solutions while migrating towards the long term standard stack; (4) Proof of concept solutions to showcase and lead businesses to the standard stack."