The OpenTravel Alliance recently announced the release of an OTA Version 2001C XML Specification, available for public review through January 31, 2002. The new version includes the mapping of OTA payloads onto an ebXML framework, consistent with OTA's recommendation of ebXML "as a viable infrastructure for the exchange of OTA messages across private and public networks." Two prose documents have been published along with the new XML Schemas, sample instances, and best-practices information: (1) The OpenTravel Alliance 2001C Infrastructure Specification "presents the specifications for the underlying infrastructure for the exchange of messages in the travel industry, covering travel services for airlines, car rentals, hotels, and travel insurance. It uses the Extensible Markup Language (XML) for the exchange of these messages transmitted under Internet protocols and includes a detailed mapping onto ebXML Message Services. (2) The OpenTravel Alliance 2001C Message Specification "presents the specifications for the Air Availability RQ/RS message pairs, the Package Tours RQ/RS message pairs, and the Golf Tee Times RQ/RS message pairs. The OTA working groups, together with an OTA interoperability committee to coordinate their efforts, develop open Internet-compatible messages using XML."

From the Version 2001C Infrastructure Specification: "This version of the Open Travel Alliance specification constitutes a major revision to the underlying technical architecture and a significant expansion of the 'best practices' recommendations pertaining to OTA message sets. This revision supercedes 2001A part 1 which was related to architecture and infrastructure. Part 2 of 2001A which contains profile message specifications still stands... OTA recommends ebXML as a viable infrastructure for the exchange of OTA messages across private and public networks and the Infrastructure section in this document covers a detailed mapping of OTA payloads onto an ebXML framework. OTA implementations are not required to use ebXML infrastructure, and parties agreeing bilaterally may use any method for message exchange they mutually agree upon. OTA's goals in making this recommendation are: to provide a viable and robust infrastructure which is both open and available, to enable off-the-shelf implementations on a variety of platforms, and to allow on-the-wire interoperability between implementations.

OTA 2001C prose specification, bibliographic information:

• OpenTravel Alliance 2001C Infrastructure Specification. By OpenTravel Alliance, Inc. Prepared in partnership with Data Interchange Standards Association. December 21, 2001. Public Review Draft. Public Review Period ending 31-January-2002. 91 pages. "This document presents the specifications for the underlying infrastructure for the exchange of messages in the travel industry, covering travel services for airlines, car rentals, hotels, and travel insurance. It uses the Extensible Markup Language (XML) for the exchange of these messages transmitted under Internet protocols and includes a detailed mapping onto ebXML Message Services. Section 1:Introduces this OTA specification, its intended audience and conventions used throughout the document; Section 2: Best Practices for development of XML messages for use within OTA specifications; Section 3: Generic Messages and the Service/Action Model describes generic messages, defined within the infrastructure, that are used within various vertical specific message sets. The service/action model provides a web-services like model for the exchange of messages between trading partners; Section 4: Infrastructure, the underlying architectural model and details of the on-the-wire data for OTA message exchange over an ebXML Messaging Service; Section 5: Detailed explanation and examples of the generation and processing of messages that use the OTA generic update method; Section 6: Definition of Service/Action mappings for all current OTA messages. Recommendations are also made for an optimum class of delivery; Section 7: Summary of infrastructure from previous OTA specifications."

• OpenTravel Alliance 2001C Message Specification. By OpenTravel Alliance, Inc. Prepared in partnership with Data Interchange Standards Association. December 21, 2001. Public Review Draft. Public Review Period ending 31-January-2002. 44 pages. "This document presents the specifications for the Air Availability RQ/RS message pairs, the Package Tours RQ/RS message pairs, and the Golf Tee Times RQ/RS message pairs. Section 1: The Air Working Group presents the Air Availability section with descriptions and definitions of XML data components; Section 2: This section presents the Package Tours RQ/RS message pairs; Section 3: This section presents the Golf Tee Times RQ/RS message pairs."

Web site overview: "Furthering the effort of the 2001A and 2001B specifications, 2001C will bridge the gap between the definition of the message sets and the adoption and implementation of those message sets. The 2001C Messages document contains new Air Availability messages, Package Tours messages, and Golf Tee Times messages. The 2001C Infrastructure document contains the mapping for the distribution of OTA messages on top of ebXML messaging and provides the framework for all OTA messages by completing the OTA Best Practices section. ebXML represents a complete set of messaging properties and other characteristics that are in alignment with the direction that OTA foresees with its current and future releases of specifications. The 2001C specification is now posted for Public Review and comprises the best possible set of documents and XML Schema files. Below are the documents themselves and also a link to send your comments on the 2001C Specification."

The OpenTravel Alliance (OTA) is a "self-funded, non-profit organization comprised of major airlines, hoteliers, car rental companies, leisure suppliers, travel agencies, global distribution systems (GDS), technology providers and other interested parties working to create and implement industry-wide, open e-business specifications. These specifications form a common e-business language that will encourage development of systems to create new collections of services to better meet the demands and expectations of travelers and the travel industry."