A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by The Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX), Petroleum Industry Data Exchange (PIDX) and RAPID, Inc. signifying their commitment to collaborative development and support of "common platform-independent electronic business data communications standards." These standards-setting bodies serving the chemicals, petroleum and agricultural industries will coordinate to share information, technology and process standardization within and between their respective industries. Together, CIDX, PIDX and RAPID will leverage resources and technical expertise to: "(1) define a set of voluntary vertical industry standards for trade within and between their respective industries; (2) represent the 'voice of the combined industries' to cross-industry XML standards initiatives; (3) work with solution providers to accelerate development and implementation of improved technologies and methodologies to support the common standards; (4) share implementation 'know-how,' case studies, and support materials."

From the announcement:

"Our collective industries are important trading partners to one another, and this collaboration between standards bodies is a natural evolution of the work each organization has completed independently," said Patricia B. Simmons, CIDX Executive Director. "We intend to leverage our individual experiences and best practices to improve the flow of electronic transactions between our industries."

"Despite certain business and transactional practices unique to each industry, the chemical, petroleum and agricultural industries have many common processes and practices," added Randy Clark, PIDX Chair. "By jointly working toward common standards, we reduce costs and improve business operating efficiencies across our industries."

A joint collaboration advisory team comprised of management representatives from each organization will establish the scope of all projects related this agreement. Together, the three groups will manage, maintain and disseminate the common standards to ensure integrity and availability.

Separately, each organization will assess its own needs and priorities funneling this information back to the joint collaboration advisory team that is charged with identifying common areas of interest and selecting and prioritizing topics and initiatives to be addressed.

Once developed, the shared electronic standards will be free to all interested businesses, and voluntary adoption of the eBusiness standards will be encouraged through joint communications efforts.

Collaborative efforts have been initiated in standards architecture, design and content, implementation framework and guidelines, cross-industry standards convergence, and communication with solution providers.

About the partners:

• "CIDX is a group of chemical companies and their trading partners that voluntarily joined together to foster Electronic Commerce through the use of XML, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Auto ID and related technologies. Its mission is to improve the ease, speed and cost of conducting business electronically between chemical companies and their trading partners. The strategic intent includes broad realization of transaction efficiency across the chemical industry supply chain by ensuring Chem eStandards are the standards for XML trading in the global chemical industry and leading convergence of XML standards for chemical transactions with key trading industries... CIDX held its first XML education sessions in 1999, and in 2000 CIDX expanded its mission to become a robust standards body responsible for the ongoing support, enhancement and further development of Chem eStandards. Chem eStandards are the uniform standards of data exchange developed specifically for the buying, selling and delivery of chemicals. They are based on the universally recognized 'gold standard' for electronic data exchange, Extensible MarkUp Language (XML). Chem eStandards are open, platform-independent, uniform and available free of charge. Chem eStandards version 3.0 are expected to be available on the CIDX web site on June 28, 2002."

• PIDX is the EDI Committee of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the primary trade association representing all phases of the oil and gas industry. The PIDX mission is to achieve petroleum industry and enterprise-wide integration of business processes through seamless electronic business communications. It proceeds toward this mission by influencing the architecture and facilitating implementation of effective standards and processes for electronic business communications with in the petroleum industry community... PIDX represents the industry 's interests in all facets of the e-commerce standards development process A new vision for the (PIDX) Committee was announced at the 2002 Conference: PIDX's new vision is to focus on the development of Extensible Markup Language (XML), as well as emerging business process standards that will make it more feasible for companies of all sizes and types to engage in seamless web-based business with their trading partners."

• RAPID is a not-for-profit organization that develops and promotes commonly supported standards, transaction sets, directories, processes, and databases to enable electronic connectivity throughout the agriculture industry. Its mission is to enable agri-business to achieve the economic and stewardship benefits of electronic business. RAPID develops and maintains the quality of commonly supported standards, processes, databases, pilots, and promotes electronic connectivity. RAPID's expertise is centered on the electronic commerce needs of agri businesses involved in crop and plant protection products, plant nutrients, grain, feed, seed, ag machinery, ag petroleum, animal health, other ag products, and specialties industries... RAPID is in the process of converging its XML Standards process with CIDX's Chem eStandards process..."