IDEAlliance has issued a public invitation for participation in the development of 'ICE2' as an open source standard for digital asset exchange. Building upon ICE version 1.1 of August 1999, ICE2 is being designed as an enhanced "layered protocol for establishing and managing controlled data exchange between business partners. ICE 1.1 provided key functions such as: standardizing the management of subscriptions; automation of content delivery; communication of metadata relevant to syndication, such as usage constraints, IP status, reuse, business terms, ownership and release/expiration dates; automation of operational issues, including error messaging, logging, delivery and notification. Tasks identified for work in the development of ICE2 include: (1) Integration of the latest standards such as XML Schemas and Namespaces; (2) Expression of ICE as a Web Service [UDDI, SOAP, WSDL]; (3) Enhanced implementation of metadata tags [PRISM and RDF]; (4) Design of a well-defined protocol extension mechanism; (5) Support for negotiation of non-ice delivery, such as FTP and simple 'GET' mechanism; (6) Support for the concurrent syndicator/subscriber; (7) Multi-level distribution; (8) Development of a framework for a public catalog." The development team plans to release the ICE2 specification at Seybold Seminars San Francisco 2002 (September 9 - 13, 2002, Moscone Center).

The ICE Authoring Group will meet to begin work on ICE 2.0 at XML 2001. Schedule: [1] Sunday Dec. 9, 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm, Europe 2 room in the Dolphin Hotel. [2] Monday Dec. 10, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Europe 2 room in the Dolphin Hotel. If you are interested in participating in development of this specification, contact Linda Burman.

From the announcement:

The original ICE specification (ICE 1.0, released in October 1998) was developed using the then-new XML standard as its data protocol format. Initially used for Web content syndication, ICE is now a crucial component important for business-to-business data exchange as well. ICE is a 'user-driven' standard, developed by a number of key content providers and software vendors. The ICE specification, now hosted by IDEAlliance, facilitates the controlled exchange and management of electronic assets between networked partners and affiliates.

Those wishing to participate in the development of ICE2 are encouraged to join the ICE Authoring Group. Members of the Authoring Group will work with users and vendors in face-to-face meetings, listservs, and conference calls regarding the formulation of ICE2. Interested parties can also join the ICE Network, granting them access to minutes from ICE Authoring Group meetings. ICE Network members also participate by reviewing draft specifications and providing direct input to the Authoring Group.