"XML.ORG is designed to provide a credible source of accurate, timely information about the application of XML in industrial and commercial settings and to serve as a reference repository for specific XML standards such as vocabularies, DTDs, schemas, and namespaces." [from the Home Page]
[May 25, 1999] OASIS has announced "the creation of XML.ORG, the first global XML industry portal to be operated by a non-profit corporation devoted to open information exchange. Over 23 industry-leading corporations, organizations and individual experts have rallied to voice their support for the formation of XML.ORG. Central to XML.ORG will be an open industry XML registry and repository offering automated public access to XML schemas. The registry/repository will play a critical enabling role in the use of industry-defined XML applications for electronic commerce, business-to-business transactions, and tools and application interoperability. The debut of XML.ORG signifies a major step in OASIS' ongoing registry and repository efforts, work that has been in progress for the last the 12 months. In keeping with its consensus-focused mission, OASIS will strive to ensure interoperability with existing and emerging XML initiatives, and will continue to actively solicit participation by any similar efforts." See also the XML.ORG FAQ document and the "Invitation to Participate."
Principal References
XML.ORG FAQ document. Also the 1999-05-25 version..
"An Open Invitation to Participate." Also the 1999-05-25 version.
XML Catalog [1999-09-13] "As the precursor to the fully functional XML.org Registry and Repository, coming in early 2000, the XML Catalog provides an overview of organizations producing XML specifications."
XML.org Recommendations, Working Drafts, and Submissions - This document "provides detailed information on specifications submitted to XML.org."
The XML.org Submissions Page - Document which offers a straightforward way to submit your XML specification to XML.org.
[September 13, 1999] "XML.org Expands As XML Information Clearinghouse. Industry Portal Adds New XML Schemas and Introduces XML Specifications Catalog and Submissions Form." - "OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, today announced major enhancements to XML.org, the open, vendor-neutral industry portal for XML. New XML schemas from DataChannel and the HR-XML Consortium have been submitted to XML.org. Other content upgrades include the addition of the XML.org Specifications Catalog (www.xml.org/xmlorg_catalog.htm), a comprehensive list of XML specifications currently under development including links for more information. The site also incorporates the XML.org Specification Submission Form to encourage and enable organizations to share their XML specifications with the community at large. DataChannel's submission to XML.org is the Portal Markup Language (PML), which is designed to support inter-portal communication by providing an XML-based description of portal-related data and metadata. PML incorporates the basics of vocabularies such as Dublin Core, Directory Services Markup and WebDAV and will continue to closely track applicable standards of relevance to this arena."
[September 15, 1999] "United Nations and OASIS Join Forces to Produce Global XML Framework." - "The United Nations body for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) have joined forces to initiate a worldwide project to standardize XML business specifications. UN/CEFACT and OASIS have established the Electronic Business XML Initiative to develop a technical framework that will enable XML to be utilized in a consistent manner for the exchange of all electronic business data. Industry groups currently working on XML specifications have been invited to participate in the 18-month project. The results of the Electronic Business XML Initiative will be placed in the public domain on XML.org. The Electronic Business XML Initiative will be led by Klaus-Dieter Naujok of the Harbinger Corporation, a senior member of the UN/CEFACT Steering Committee, and Dr. Robert S. Sutor of IBM, the Chief Strategy Officer of OASIS." For other references, see the main entry "Electronic Business XML Initiative."
XML.ORG White Papers - Reference Collection
"Managing Names and Ontologies: An XML Registry and Repository." White Paper (Robin Cover).
XML Registry and Repository - Reference Document. See also 'Registries and Repositories - XML/SGML Name Registration'.
Articles About XML.ORG
Ed. Note: Some of the articles cited below evidence what appears to represent significant misunderstanding of the proposed role of XML.ORG. Note, in particular, that the XML.ORG FAQ document disclaims every intent of setting up an exclusive/competitive endeavor: it will "actively solicit participation by other industry groups in XML.ORG, and will cooperate with any similar industry efforts." The misunderstandings are themselves significant and instructive, however, revealing a broad consensus that "something needs to be done" about a publicly-accessible registry and repository. [-rcc]
[June 01, 1999] "New Web Sites Quench XML Thirst." By Matthew Nelson. In InfoWorld Volume 21, Issue 22 (May 31, 1999). "Both Microsoft and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) have founded Web sites to act as information repositories for the Extensible Markup Language (XML) for users and developers. Microsoft announced last week at its TechEd conference, in Dallas, the creation of BizTalk.org, which currently holds the first draft of specifications for the BizTalk Framework. The company intends to provide the site as an open repository for XML schemas using the BizTalk Framework for Internet commerce and application integration, according to the company. Microsoft announced BizTalk Framework in March as a way of using XML to assist in processing information for differing commerce sites. OASIS founded XML.org last week to provide a registry and repository for the access and management of XML schemas, Document Type Definitions, and other XML-related information." [local archive copy]
[June 10, 1999] "A 'Rosetta Stone' for the Web? The XML Lingo Could Make it Easier to Find and Use Data." By Neil Gross and Michael Moeller. In BusinessWeek [Online] (June 14, 1999). "Miracle that it is, the World Wide Web is not without shortcomings. Mind-numbing delays and irrelevant search results are enough to try the patience of the most saintly Web surfers. And E-business companies have a long litany of woes, ranging from security problems to difficulties in swapping data across the Net. . . For XML to perform as promised, there must be agreement on the tags used within various markets and interest areas. While XML's basic language was standardized last year by the World Wide Web Consortium, the tags that will be used to define specific data for banking, telecommunications, retailing, and other areas are still up for grabs. But software rivals aren't waiting. IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun Microsystems -- plus a host of E-business startups such as Ariba Technologies and Commerce One -- are all trumpeting their unique expertise in XML. So the technology is already starting to fracture. Without better coordination, warns Timothy S. Sloane, an analyst with Boston's Aberdeen Group, the whole idea of universal standards 'could drift into never-never land.' On May 25, a Boston-based standards group called OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) tried to draw a line against fragmentation. It created a central clearinghouse on the Web, called XML.org, to coordinate XML news and proposals for tags. Unfortunately, Microsoft Corp. had the same idea. One day before XML.org went live, Microsoft unveiled BizTalk.org as the main repository not only for its own XML tags and products but also for those of its partners in E-business, such as Ariba and Commerce One. . ." [local archive copy]
[June 07, 1999] "XML Poised for Broad Acceptance." By [Staff Analysts]. From The Yankee Group Research Notes. (Week of June 1, 1999). "[. . .] in a brief 15-month period, XML has made rapid progress with the emergence of additional XML-based standards, and as numerous vendors incorporated XML into the innards of their own software. Yet, the broadest uses--inter-company integration--remain untapped. As a universal alphabet, XML could someday be used for a majority of inter-company transactions and inter-company integration. Last week that possibility took a giant leap forward. On Monday, Microsoft launched a Web portal for collaboration and storage of BizTalk document type definitions (DTDs, record schemas for XML), one day before the OASIS industry consortium launched its own XML.org Web site, itself a DTD repository and overlapping somewhat with BizTalk.org. These seemingly competitive Web sites could have tanked XML for good. The main division between the two groups may have been Microsoft's legitimate hesitation to support and put money behind a fledgling broad organization (OASIS and its XML.org portal) when Microsoft thought that it could accomplish the same on its own. On Friday, Microsoft changed course and made a verbal commitment to apply to OASIS and XML.org. This followed Ariba's recent pledge to roll its cXML standard into BizTalk, and last week, Commerce One's agreement to work with BizTalk, as well as with XML.org. All of this will likely move the industry toward fewer, more interoperable data layouts housed in XML DTDs. Because it is far easier and less risky to support fewer DTDs, we expect that with Microsoft supporting a broad industry initiative in OASIS/XML.org, and with the number of overlapping DTDs shrinking, XML is finally poised to be widely deployed in a wide range of applications. Expect a coming surge in corporate RFPs as well as in software that supports XML." [ygrn6-1-99.html] For the complete analysis, contact The Yankee Group at: +1 (617) 956-5000; Fax: +1 (617) 956-5005; Email: info@yankeegroup.com
[June 07, 1999] "Two XML Clearinghouses Compete For eCommerce." By Joshua Walker with Ted Schadler. Forrester Research Brief. (May 27, 1999). Forrester analysts interviewed Laura Walker (OASIS Executive Director) and James Utzschneider (Microsoft, Application Developers Customer Service Unit) on details of the XML.ORG endeavor, the BizTalk Web site (www.biztalk.org), and the relationship between the two initiatives. Forrester's analysis proceeded on the conviction that ecommerce adoption "depends upon building consensus around industry-specific XML vocabularies," and wishes to see a public forum for collaboration in the development of these vocabularies. "Microsoft and OASIS, a nonprofit standards organization, have launched competing Web sites that target eCommerce developers with XML resources and standard XML vocabularies. But two public XML clearinghouses serving the same need is one site too many. Forrester believes that these groups must merge their sites to accelerate the adoption of XML eCommerce vocabularies." For details, contact Forrester Research, Inc. at +1 617/497-7090 or by email forrester@forrester.com.
[June 21, 1999] "Industry Fragments as it Promotes Use of XML." By Dianne Kennedy. In XML Files: The XML Magazine Issue 15 (June, 1999). "Recently two separate efforts to promote the use of XML on the Web were announced [XML.ORG, BizTalk]. Ironically, the already bitterly divided high-tech sector seems even more clearly divided by these very similiar efforts to 'accelerate the widespread adoption of Extensible Markup Language (XML) for electronic commerce and application integration' . . . The elephants are clearly Microsoft and Sun. So in the end, the ultimate question is whether these two "elephants" can somehow find a way to work together to enable the business activities of us 'ants'. The good news is that both of the competing industry groups recognize that XML alone is not enough for commerce to flourish on the Web. The availability of common tag sets (vocabularies or schemas) with clearly understood semantics is critical to facilitate business applications. Each Web faction is attempting to create a environment condusive to the rapid growth of Web-based business, yet because they (Microsoft / Sun) rarely cooperate outside the confines of the W3C, each is fostering XML in their own way. Each has made the mistake of championing a different standards organization to operate with or within. The Sun and Microsoft camps at times succeeded in working together for the common good. They certainly have done that as members of the W3C. But it seems that establishing the XML clearing house and repository is not within the scope of W3C. So they cannot work together in that forum. . ."
[June 18, 1999] "Group Builds Multilateral Support for Commercial Language -- OASIS Nourishes XML Drive." By Nicolas Mokhoff. In Electronic Engineering Times [Online] Issue 1065 (June 14, 1999) [Systems & Software]. "The HyperText Markup Language (HTML) made the Web the world's library. Now the Extensible Markup Language (XML) is out to make the Web the world's commercial and financial hub. At the first XMLOne [conference], an international users conference held here last month, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) announced the creation of XML.Org (www.xml.org), the first global XML industry portal to be operated by a nonprofit corporation devoted to open information exchange. More than 20 corporations, organizations and individual experts have rallied to voice their support for the group's formation. Even Microsoft Corp., which has been pursuing its own XML standardization efforts, has joined the XML industry consortium, which is also supported by IBM and Sun Microsystems. The multipartisan support has eased fears about a platform-based splintering of the XML market. Microsoft and OASIS had been competing to establish industry consensus and provide a forum for XML definition."
[June 07, 1999] "Microsoft Launches An XML Clearing-house -- Alone." Forrester Research Brief (May 24, 1999). This Forrester Research report focuses upon Microsoft's XML clearinghouse: '[designed] to accelerate XML commerce adoption -- and sell more servers -- Microsoft launched biztalk.org, a site that makes it easy to find and use valuable XML resources." Forrester believes that this Web site establishes competitive camps in the nascent XML software market" and that a 'Microsoft-only XML clearinghouse' is not in the best interests of XML's progress. For details, contact Forrester Research, Inc. at +1 617/497-7090 or by email forrester@forrester.com.
[June 04, 1999] "Microsoft Joins XML Industry Group." By Mike Ricciuti. In CNET News.com (June 3, 1999). "In an apparent about-face, Microsoft has joined an Extensible Markup Language (XML) industry consortium supported by its competitors, easing fears that a Java-like war will splinter the XML market. Microsoft has joined OASIS, a nonprofit XML industry consortium endorsed by Microsoft's rivals, including IBM and Sun Microsystems. James Utzschneider, director of Microsoft's BizTalk initiative, said the company on Friday decided to join OASIS at the senior-member level, meaning the company has paid OASIS a $7,500 fee and is participating in planning meetings. Utzschneider also said Microsoft is evaluating a Web site sponsorship pledge of $100,000 to the organization. . . Microsoft's BizTalk.org Web site, and OASIS' XML.org site are intended to serve as DTD repositories and resource centers for companies implementing XML. BizTalk.org will host BizTalk-specific DTDs, while OASIS intends to host information for "any and all specifications," according to Laura Walker, executive director of OASIS. . ." [local archive copy]
[June 04, 1999] "Sites Promote Use of XML in E-Commerce. Some fear two new sites is too many." By Carol Sliwa. In ComputerWorld (May 31, 1999). "Two separate Web sites were launched last week in a bid to stimulate business use of Extensible Markup Language (XML) to exchange data in electronic-commerce transactions. Microsoft Corp.'s BizTalk.Org and the nonprofit Organization for the Advancement of Structure Information Standards' (OASIS) XML.org both claim to serve as reference spots and open repositories for the XML schemas, or data description sets, that companies and vertical industries will use in business transactions. Microsoft Joins Up - Recognizing that the two sites have similar goals and might be viewed as competing, Microsoft late last week joined the OASIS effort, backed by IBM, Oracle Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and others. But that might not clear up all the confusion surrounding the myriad business-related XML efforts currently under way, analysts said. 'I don't think either of them will be the only [site] out there,' said Rita Knox, an analyst at Gartner Group Inc. in Stamford, Conn."
[June 01, 1999] "Web Babel? Building a New Web Language -- or a Tower of Cyber Babel." By Neil Gross. In BusinessWeek Online "XML.ORG is a site under construction, one that may find its goal -- consensus on a possible HTML successor -- elusive. XML.ORG was built by an industry standards group called OASIS to be a central clearinghouse for ideas, innovations, and news about XML. The letters stand for "extensible markup language," a powerful new technology that could replace HTML as the Web's lingua franca. XML.ORG went online on May 25 [1999], and has already garnered a fair quotient of industry buzz. But there are also some poignant realities: This Web site was born amidst widespread concern that XML is starting to fragment into multiple standards. A host of small XML software companies are striking out in different directions. And just one day before XML.ORG went live, Microsoft launched a site called BizTalk.Org with a mission that's nearly identical to XML.ORG's. Three days later, Microsoft took a step toward unification by offering to become a sponsor of OASIS, or the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards. . ."
[June 01, 1999] "Are Too Many Players Trying To Shape XML?" By Ellis Booker, Jeffrey Schwartz, and David Joachim. In InternetWeek (May 28, 1999). "XML's enormous potential for integrating applications and letting partners swap business data has Microsoft, IBM and others staking their early positions. Each is racing to deliver XML servers and parsers or XML extensions to their existing enterprise software. This week, for instance, Microsoft not only announced a summer beta release for its own XML server product (BizTalk Server) but also published a blueprint (BizTalk Framework) for converting business objects and application logic into XML. It also created a Web site (BizTalk.org) that serves as a quasi-independent clearinghouse for XML schema, which describe different kinds of business data. While experts agree that XML is worth all the fuss, they wondered aloud whether efforts such as BizTalk.org will collide with work already under way at various consortia to define industry-specific XML vocabularies. . . [some] worry that too many cooks are stirring the XML broth." [local archive copy]
[June 01, 1999] "XML Becoming New Industry Battleground." By Brian Ploskina. In ent - The Independent Newspaper for Windows NT Enterprise Computing [Online] (May 27, 1999). "As a developer, you could write for generic Java so your application is available to all platforms, or you could use the switch in Microsoft Corp.'s Visual J++ to write Windows-specific Java, making Java perform better on Windows, but not at all on any other platform. Now the software giant has turned the same attention to XML, a standard in the industry, and the rest of the industry doesn't like it. Microsoft's framework for XML, BizTalk, has taken off with software vendors Baan Co. (www.baan.com), SAP AG (www.sap.com), PeopleSoft Inc. (www.peoplesoft.com), Ariba Technologies Inc. (www.ariba.com) and others. The company even came out with a Web site, BizTalk.Org, to be an online reference for BizTalk Framework specifications, schemas, reference materials, tools, sample applications and a community newsgroup."
[May 26, 1999] "XML.org Premieres as Repository for the Spec." By Matthew Nelson. In InfoWorld (May 26, 1999). "OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, has founded the site XML.org as a repository for Extensible Markup Language (XML) information open to users and developers. XML.org will provide a registry and repository for the access and management of XML schemas, Document Type Definitions (DTD), and other XML-related information. 'People would use this to get information and education about XML and also information about specific industry or applications specifications through our registry and repository service,' said Laura Walker, executive director of OASIS. The site will also implement an architecture that employs existing and emerging standards for XML registries and repositories. OASIS announced XML.org Tuesday, the day after Microsoft announced its own Biztalk.org, but OASIS and the group's many partners, including IBM, believe the sites will not be in competition." See the XML.ORG and Biztalk announcements.
[May 26, 1999] "Taking Sides on XML." By Mike Ricciuti. In CNET News.com (May 26, 1999). "Microsoft's attempt to jump-start adoption of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) has drawn battle lines in the rapidly evolving market, in some ways reminiscent of the industry split over the Java programming language. On one side is Microsoft's BizTalk initiative and its BizTalk.org Web site, established this week as an XML design clearing house, developer resource, and repository for XML schemas. Microsoft has lined up an impressive list of BizTalk backers, including most of the major enterprise resource planning (ERP) software makers -- except Oracle -- e-commerce software and service providers like Ariba, and big-name technology consumers, such as Boeing. On the other side is XML.org, an XML developer portal launched this week by Oasis, a nonprofit consortium. Oasis, which has been building its portal for a year, has been endorsed by virtually all other big-name software makers, including IBM, Sun Microsystems, Novell, and Oracle. . ." [Ed. opinion/comment: This article appears to have over-stressed the notion of competitive "sides" and has (apparently) misinterpreted the significance of the timing in the OASIS announcement. Biztalk.org and XML.ORG are not working in the same space, AFAIK.]
[May 26, 1999] Industry Initiative, XML.ORG, to Build Open XML Schema Registry and Repository. Public access portal will operate under OASIS with support from DataChannel." From IDM News (May 25, 1999).
[May 26, 1999] "OASIS Launches XML.ORG To Enable XML for E-Business." By George DiGiacomo. In Internet News.com (May 26, 1999). "OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, Wednesday unveiled XML.ORG, a global XML industry portal operated by a non-profit corporation and devoted to open information exchange. Central to XML.ORG will be an open industry XML registry and repository offering automated public access to XML schemas."
