"SMBXML extends XML's description to a specific library of business transactions including invoices, sales receipts, checks, credit memos, refunds, inventory adjustments, payments, finance charges and so on. It is an open standard built on an open standard. With SMBXML any standard business transaction can move in and out of any number of ASPs without going through any central broker. This creates a peer-to-peer network in which no one is ever locked into any service."
[May 15, 2000] On May 15, 2000 NetLedger, Inc. announced an SMBXML specification designed to support business transactions within the small to medium sized business community. The web site provides references to the announcement, a FAQ document, and the specification. Description: "The purpose of SMBXML is to provide the small to medium sized business with the power and connectivity previously associated only with solutions for much larger organizations. The SMBXML standard is an open XML format for describing business transactions. Unlike previous standards, SMBXML specifically targets the needs of the small to medium sized business community. For example, a web storefront could supply the details of a sales transaction to a separate general ledger application (even if the two systems are hosted by separate ASPs), or an employee could submit an expense report for approval (and subsequent payment) using a wireless Internet device. Businesses should be able to select and deploy the Internet applications that best meet their specific needs. By using SMBXML, these applications will be able to share data seamlessly. In addition, SMBXML provides a common language for enabling trading relationships between businesses. [The developers say:] We believe that open standards provide the best means of meeting the needs of the business community. By offering SMBXML as an open standard, we hope to encourage custom software development, interoperability between applications, and choice of component applications in a total business solution." SMBXML "is defined using two separate DTDs. The top level DTD defines the high-level structure of SMBXML, including the purpose of the document and the document's sender and recipient. The second DTD defines the business objects: employees, customers, invoices, etc." From the announcement: "[NetLedger, Inc.] announced today that it has developed the first XML standard specifically for the small to medium business community: SMBXML. The new standard allows NetLedger and other ASPs to exchange information in a common language, and thus seamlessly integrate their products to deliver greatly enhanced business solutions. The SMBXML specification is available immediately at www.smbxml.org. It represents a first for the small-business-accounting software industry, a first for small businesses, and a first for the ASP community at large. Because the SMBXML standard is open, NetLedger anticipates that it will significantly advance and strengthen the small-business ASP market as a whole by delivering more complete e-commerce solutions through strategic technology and business partnerships. ASPs no longer need to wrestle with proprietary data formats in order to collaborate. NetLedger's commitment to open standards extends to the system infrastructure it has deployed to manage its operations by employing Apache Web servers and the Linux operating system in its new consolidated data center. NetLedger is currently in the process of using the new SMBXML standard to enhance its own core online accounting solution by integrating with business applications and services of other ASP industry-leading partners such as Red Gorilla (online time and billing), RecoverDebt.com (online accounts receivable management and outsourcing), Freeworks (online business services and office automation), OneCore.com (online financial services), CyberBills (online bill management) and others."
"SMBXML extends XML's description to a specific library of business transactions including invoices, sales receipts, checks, credit memos, refunds, inventory adjustments, payments, finance charges and so on. It is an open standard built on an open standard. With SMBXML, any standard business transaction can move in and out of any number of ASP's without going through any central broker. This creates a peer-to-peer network in which no one is ever locked into any service. Finally small and medium business can always move up to the best. It's no longer just business 2 business."
References:
The SMBXML 2.11 DTD. 6/27/2001. See also the release notes. [cache]
SMBXML Specification (DTDs). [cache]
SMBXML Upload. "NetLedger has developed the SMBXML (Small-to-Medium sized Business extensible Markup Language) in order that business information can be exchanged between the NetLedger application and other applications. The SMBXML Import feature opens the doors for further integration projects with a wide-range of business applications, both on and offline, in which data can be exchanged freely between those applications. In this way, the business will always have access to up to date information from all aspects of their operations. The SMBXML Upload enables NetLedger users to import SMBXML documents directly from their desktops in to NetLedger and update their accounting and other business information. Through this implementation all that is required is that the user generate (or use an application that generates) a properly formatted XML document..."
Sample SMBXML documents:
Announcement: "NetLedger Announces First XML Standard for the Small Business ASP Market: SMBXML. New Open Standard Enables Seamless Integration of Online Small-Business Applications." [cache]
