A posting from Hartmut Hermes (UN/CEFACT Core Component Project Team Lead) and Klaus-Dieter Naujok (Techniques and Methodologies Group Chair) announces the release of the UN/CEFACT - ebXML Core Component Technical Specification Version 1.85 for Public Review provided by its Open Development Process. Under the UN/CEFACT Open Development Process, all interested parties have the opportunity to review, comment on, and contribute to Technical Specifications. The public review period ends 22-November-2002. The ebXML Core Component solution described in the specification "presents a methodology for developing a common set of semantic building blocks that represent the general types of business data in use today and provides for the creation of new business vocabularies and restructuring of existing business vocabularies. The Core Components User Community consists of business people, business document modellers and business data modellers, Business Process modellers, and application developers of different organisations that require interoperability of business information. This interoperability covers both interactive and batch exchanges of business data between applications through the use of Internet and Web based information exchanges as well as traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems."

From the Version 1.85 Introduction: "The UN/CEFACT - ebXML Core Components Technical Specification describes and specifies a new approach to the well-understood problem of the lack of information interoperability between applications in the e-business arena. Traditionally, standards for the exchange of business data have been focused on static message definitions that have not enabled a sufficient degree of interoperability or flexibility. A more flexible and interoperable way of standardising business semantics is required. The UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) - ebXML Core Component solution described in this specification presents a methodology for developing a common set of semantic building blocks that represent the general types of business data in use today and provides for the creation of new business vocabularies and restructuring of existing business vocabularies."

From the 'Scope and Focus' statement:

This UN/CEFACT - ebXML Core Components Technical Specification can be employed wherever business information is being shared or exchanged amongst and between enterprises, governmental agencies, and/or other organisations in an open and worldwide environment. The Core Components User Community consists of business people, business document modellers and business data modellers, Business Process modellers, and application developers of different organisations that require interoperability of business information. This interoperability covers both interactive and batch exchanges of business data between applications through the use of Internet and Web based information exchanges as well as traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems.

This specification will form the basis for standards development work of business analysts, business users and information technology specialists supplying the content of and implementing applications that will employ the UN/CEFACT Core Component Library (CCL). The CCL will be stored in a UN/CEFACT repository and identified in an ebXML compliant registry.

From 'Key Concepts': "The Core Components Technical Specification key concepts cover two focus areas: Core Components and Business Information Entities... A Core Component is a building block for the creation of a semantically correct and meaningful information exchange package. It contains only the information pieces necessary to describe a specific concept. There are four different categories of Core Components: Basic Core Component, Association Core Component, Core Component Type and Aggregate Core Component... The key differentiator between Core Components and Business Information Entities is the concept of Business Context. Business Context is a mechanism for qualifying and refining Core Components according to their use under particular business circumstances. Once Business Contexts are identified, Core Components can be differentiated to take into account any necessary qualification and refinement needed to support the use of the Core Component in the given Business Context... A business context is a formal description of a specific business circumstance as identified by the values of a set of Context Categories, allowing different business circumstances to be uniquely distinguished... Business Information Entity (BIE) is a piece of business data or a group of pieces of business data with a unique business semantic definition. A Business Information Entity can be a Basic Business Information Entity (BBIE), an Association Business Information Entity (ASBIE), or an Aggregate Business Information Entity (ABIE)..."

Bibliographic information: UN/CEFACT - ebXML Core Components Technical Specification. By United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT). Draft Version 1.85. 30-September-2002. 118 pages. Project Team Leader: Hartmut Hermes (Siemens). Lead Editor: Mark Crawford (Logistics Management Institute). Editing Team: Mike Adcock (APACS), Mary Kay Blantz (AIAG), Arofan Gregory (CommerceOne), Alan Stitzer (Marsh, Inc.), Frank Vandamme (SWIFT), and James Whittle (e Centre). Contributors: Bernd Boesler (DIN), Todd Boyle (NetAccount), Kerstien Celis (Seagha c.v.), Jean-Luc Champion (Enterprise Integration Partners), Marianne Cockle (APACS), Scott Colthurst (State Farm), Alain Dechamps (CEN/ISSS), Eduardo Gutentag (Sun Microsystems), Paula Heilig (Worldspan), Stig Korsgaard (Danish Bankers Association), Melanie McCarthy (General Motors), Sue Probert (Commerce One), Andreas Schultz (DKV), Lisa Seaburg (AEON Consulting), Gunther Stuhec (SAP AG), Hisanao Sugamata (ECOM-Japan), Herbert Thomas (AustriaPro), Fred Van Blommestein (Berenschot), Nigel Wooden ACORD).