OASIS Co-Sponsors SGML/XML Japan '98 at World PC Expo

International Consortium Joins with GCA to Launch First Major SGML/XML Conference in Japan


September 14, 1998.

OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, announced that it will co-sponsor the first SGML/XML Japan '98 conference in cooperation with the Graphic Communications Association (GCA). SGML/XML Japan '98 will be held September 30 to October 2, 1998 at the Nippon Convention Center, Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan in conjunction with World PC Expo '98, the largest information technologies exposition in Asia. World PC Expo will devote a section of the show floor to the OASIS SGML/XML Pavilion where leading vendors of SGML and XML technologies from around the world will demonstrate their products.

``There is an explosion of interest right now in XML and SGML in Japan,'' said Robin Tomlin, executive director of OASIS. ``SGML/XML Japan '98 will be an excellent opportunity for members of OASIS to introduce products in a growing market and to showcase tools that focus on unique Asian structured information management issues.''

World PC Expo '98 is operated by Nikkei Business Publications (Nikkei BP). Attendance at the event is expected to climb over the 500,000 mark with more than 600 exhibitors on the show floor.

``SGML/XML Japan '98 will provide the educational forum to introduce the benefits of the XML and SGML technologies and applications to Japan,'' says Marion Elledge, vice president, Information Technologies, GCA. ``SGML/XML Japan '98 will enhance the visibility for XML and SGML in this region of the world.''

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a standard proposed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for disseminating information across the Internet. XML opens new dimensions for Web documents, making them multidimensional, capable of being processed by different programs, delivered by different methods and viewed differently by users.

SGML (the Standard Generalized Markup Language) is the international standard (ISO 8879) for open interchange of documents and structured information objects. SGML was developed in 1986 to offer organizations a way to protect their investment in information and to make documents accessible and deliverable in a choice of mediums.

OASIS (http://www.oasis-open.org) is a non-profit, international consortium dedicated solely to product-independent data and content interchange. Focusing on product interoperability, conformance and market awareness, OASIS embraces the complete spectrum of structured information standards including XML, SGML and HTML. OASIS sponsors include Adobe Systems, AND-USA, ArborText, Chrystal Software, Database Publishing Systems, DataChannel, Folio, Graphic Communications Association, Inso, Interleaf, ISOGEN, Poet Software, SoftQuad, Software AG, Sorman Information, STEP, Sun Microsystems, Texcel, Thomson, Xyvision and the Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation.

GCA is recognized as the leading organization for education and resources on the topics of SGML, XML, and related standards as they apply to publishing and corporate information management.

Nikkei BP is Japan's leading name in business, technical, service, and special interest computer consumer magazines. With a combined circulation of nearly 1,800,000 as certified by Japan, its 33 magazines, plural Web sites, numerous book titles, and media of affiliated companies cover topics ranging from computers and electronics to architecture and health care.


Contact:
OASIS
Carol Geyer
Tel: +1 412.963.1479
Email: geyer@oasis-open.org