The RosettaNet Consortium has announced the completion of an "official validation for second major release of its implementation framework core specification, which provides the foundational processes and message packaging requirements for supply chain partners to conduct e-business using RosettaNet standards. Validation of version 2.0 of the RosettaNet Implementation Framework (RNIF) provides greater impetus for companies to migrate from RNIF 1.1 to 2.0, and will help prepare them for the future release of RosettaNet products and services designed to measure their own readiness and compliance with RosettaNet standards. RosettaNet Partners who participated in the six-month RNIF 2.0 Validation Program include: IONA, Peregrine Systems, PTC, TIBCO Software, Viacore, Vitria and webMethods. RNIF provides exchange protocols for quick and efficient implementation of RosettaNet PIPs. Through the efforts of RosettaNet's Validation Partners, players active in the B2B space are assured that RNIF 2.0 has been put through its paces and is capable of addressing the implementation requirements of companies within the high technology supply chain. RNIF version 2.0 supports intermediaries such as e-marketplaces and exchanges, accommodates complex multi-document business messages, and contains additional provisions for authenticity, privacy and non-repudiation. The new implementation framework supports complex business messages; companies can now send binary documents with their XML-based RosettaNet business messages."

RosettaNet Implementation Framework (RNIF). The RosettaNet Implementation Framework (RNIF) provides exchange protocols for quick and efficient implementation of PIPs. See the RNIF Specification Version 02.00.00. The .ZIP file distribution includes the RNIF Specification, three Headers (Preamble, Delivery, Service Header) and two Business Signals (Receipt Acknowledgement and Exception). See the documentation in HTML format for details. [cache]

From the announcement:

Partners using RNIF 2.0 will have the ability to leverage the forthcoming RosettaNet Ready Developer Tools, which will allow companies to gauge the compliance of software products or trading partner network implementations with RosettaNet specifications in a cost-effective manner. The Developer Tools software emulates the operation of a RosettaNet-based trading partner solution, executing PIPs running in an RNIF 2.0 environment. The program's other service, Software Compliance Badge subscription, will test solution compliance by PIP version under RNIF 2.0. The RosettaNet Ready Developer Tools subscription is slated for release the week of September 10, 2001.

Additional security measures have been added as well. Companies can take advantage of enhanced privacy and integrity measures such as digital signatures and payload encryption by using S/MIME. The S/MIME standard replaces RosettaNet's previous format and keeps the RNIF closely aligned with other cross-industry implementation frameworks.

In an effort to assist small- to medium-sized businesses with limited capabilities in their applications, RosettaNet has included support for synchronous responses within RNIF 2.0. Using this support, an application replies to a request by returning the results on the same connection on which the request was received. This support allows simple applications incapable of complex server-like behavior to participate in a RosettaNet-based trading relationship.

RNIF 2.0 also includes support for HTTP, HTTPS and SMTP transfer protocols to accommodate e-marketplaces, exchanges, portals and other intermediaries that route information on behalf of buyers and sellers. RNIF 2.0 specifies what information is added to message headers to enable these intermediaries to route the business messages to their final destinations correctly.