Conmergence

Wired for Health Quality Act

here. <ed.note>Note: Sec. 403. Facilitating the Provision of Telehealth Services Across State Lines</ed.note>

Sprint network to use Intel's WiMax

By John Markoff and Ken Belson, The New York Times

Intel has also made progress in South Korea, which is using a version of WiMax called WiBro, and in developing countries like Brazil and Pakistan.

...More broadly, Intel has long wanted to create a global wireless network that mirrors today's land-based Internet, in which dozens of competitors build equipment designed to support a single open standard.

Sprint says it expects to reach a third of the U.S. population with its new network by the end of 2008.

Sprint's WiMax gambit could put pressure on Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless, and on equipment makers, to move toward more open standards and what the industry refers to as "network neutrality," a network design in which all types of data traffic are treated equally by the network operators.

Enable real-world trading partner collaborations in SOA

[ An introduction to the ebXML Collaboration Protocol Profile and Agreement standard ]

By Leo Fernandez, Ash Parikh, Varun Gupta, Javaworld.com

This article is part of a series of short articles that introduce readers to the industry's various Web services standards. These articles provide a quick introduction to these standards, their backgrounds, underlying architectures, benefits, status, and industry adoption. As some of the content may be a depiction of the authors' viewpoints, readers are encouraged to refer to the links provided in Resources to gain a deeper understanding of a particular standard. This article focuses on Web services-enabled trading-partner collaboration standards that influence a service-oriented architecture (SOA).

ebBP v2.0.3 packages has been approved as an OASIS Committee Specification

We are actively working within OASIS and with other interested user communities in Asia, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands to gain the implementation certifications to advance to OASIS Standard and hopefully to ISO to complete the ISO-15000 series (mentioned in OASIS Symposium last week).  We'd welcome your support in this regard.

We've consolidated a wealth of information relevant to our user communities at our public web site at: http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=ebxml-bp  v2.0.3 Packages and, if desired, individual schema files, see "Technical Work Produced by the Committee."

ebBP is also in the news:

1. ebBP was featured in the SOA Business Session at the OASIS Symposium, May 2006, see "Expository Work Produced by the Committee."< /li>
2. ebBP was featured at the OMG Think Tank on "Business Collaboration Using ebBP" (also posted at the location above). Thanks to our team member Sally St. Amand for providing interested users and BPM enthusiasts with more details on ebBP at this event.

Both presentations are available at the public web site provided. Also, check out web site:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• ebBP Overview
  • Process definitions for
    • CPPA negotiation
    • UBL or UBL Small Business Subset (SBS) v1.0 process definitions: Features modular definitions and use of new document reference function and also includes CPPA package
    • Dutch government criminal justice instances and use case document
    • Business signal examples
    • Knit wear Italian draft process definitions
  • Draft ebBP editor: User guide and update are to be released very soon.

Note, the UBL Small Business Subset v1.0 is now an OASIS Committee Specification and includes a set of ebBP v2.0.3 modular process definitions, called Universal Business Processes.

As we've said before (and will say again politely), our focus on user communities is paying off - one example being the interest in the UBL community - and we now have achieved Committee Specification. We're interested in those that are developing their own process definitions and can show their successful use of ebBP. We encourage you to check out our public web site and keep abreast of our progress made thus far.  For those using or interested in using ebBP, please contact Dale Moberg and myself (particularly if you are an OASIS member!). Best regards.

Respectfully,
    Dale Moberg, <dmoberg @ us.axway.com>
    Monica J. Martin, monica.martin @ sun.com
    and the ebBP team

An OASIS White Paper: 'The ebBP' (ebXML Business Process Specification Schema)

By The OASIS Business Process TC (Dale Moberg and Monica J. Martin, co-chairs) For OASIS

Executive Summary

Business processes are key components to enable and drive collaborating partner relationships for electronic business (eBusiness). The ebXML Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS or ebBP) provides capabilities drive those eBusiness collaborative processes. As a part of the original eBusiness eXtensible Markup Language (XML) [ebXML] framework of specifications, the ebBP is targeted for monitoring of collaborative business processes among parties or business partners.

The ebBP (ebXML Business Process Specification Schema) defines a standard language to configure business systems for business collaboration execution between collaborating parties or business partners. It provides:

Standard and extensible business transaction patterns

Support for modular definitions to complex nested activities

Support for use of web service, hybrid and ebXML assets

Semantic tailoring for business processes and business documents

In the second quarter 2006, the OASIS ebBP v2.0.3 set of packages are moving towards OASIS standard. The changes and capabilities defined in the v2.0.x packages have substantially increased the business value-add for using standard process definitions. These definitions support tailoring of eBusiness processes and business documents to serve our user community.

The ebBP focuses on an integrated eBusiness adaptable approach in order to support heterogeneous environments, particularly Small- to Medium-Enterprises. As with other specifications and capabilities, ebBP can be leveraged other ebXML and/or emerging web services technologies.

It is the ‘community at large’ that has emboldened the development of ebBP and likely will drive its adoption.

Release of Webswell Connect 1.4.1 open-source ebXML integration platform

Webswell Inc. released a new version of Webswell Connect, the open-source ebXML integration platform. Webswell Connect 1.4.1 constitutes a comprehensive ebXML integration platform that supports http, https and email communication while keeping it safe and reliable implementing digital signatures, encryption, acknowledgments mechanism, duplication elimination etc. Webswell Connect 1.4.1 contains the most recent versions of its components: Webswell Broker (ebXML message broker) and Hermes 1 (ebXML message service handler). The whole platform is production quality and has been implemented in business cases where it has been proving its interoperability with other integration platforms on the market. Webswell Connect 1.4.1 is entirely open source software distributed under Academic Free License. Download here.

The Webswell Connect 1.4.1 contains:

• E-business registry and repository
• ebXML messaging system
• Application connector called Webswell Broker
• Demonstration and monitoring utilities
• Components and libraries needed for the platform function
• XML editor

About Webswell:
Webswell Inc. is a Sacramento, California based integration company specialized in building ebXML and Web Services integration solutions and providing related consultancy. Webswells mission is to help companies of any size to build business integration solutions and exploit benefits that such integration provides. All Webswell software is based on open, non-proprietary standards and is open-source licensed.

Contact:
Ladislav Urban
http://www.webswell.com

TigerLogic Plug-In for Sun Services Registry

Ash Parikh* wrote recently

...Just wanted to inform you that the press release on the Plug-In is now live and the respective download page on our website is in place, fully tested and ready for download requests.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060302/lath057.html?.v=47

http://www.rainingdata.com/

http://www.rainingdata.com/products/TLSunPlugin/index.html

http://www.rainingdata.com/products/TLSunPlugin/signup/index.html

Cheers!

*Director of Development and Technology, EAG
Raining Data Corporation (NASDAQ: RDTA)
"Technology for Innovative Solutions"
www.rainingdata.com
+1 (510) 673-2922 - Office
+1 (510) 372-0432 - eFax
ash@rainingdata.com - Email

Co-Chair: SDForum Web services SIG
Founding Member: OASIS SOA Blueprints TC
Co-Chair: W2COG Technical Advisory and Oversight Committee
Member: OASIS, JCP, W3C, EPCGlobal, Supply-Chain Council, BPM Institute
Founder and President: World Wide Institute of Software Architects
Product Advisory Board Member: Iopsis Software, WindSpirng

Oxlo Systems Integrates Dealer Service Providers Into General Motors' Retail Inventory Management Application

Broomfield, Colo. – February 22, 2006 – Oxlo Systems, Inc. today announced that it is providing six dealer service providers with integration into the General Motors’ Retail Inventory Management (RIM) application. Oxlo is currently in production with Automotive Computer Services for GM RIM integration, and is under contract to provide an integration solution to Dealer Information Solutions, DPC Systems, Dubuque Data Services, Jarvis Computer Software and Procede Software.

“Our rapidly growing network of integrated partners continues to prove Oxlo’s value proposition delivers results,” said Jim Lejeal, CEO and co-founder of Oxlo Systems. “Oxlo simplifies integration for both the OEM and the DSP, thus creating a higher level of customer satisfaction and greater profitability.”

”Integrating through Oxlo has proven a great benefit to our company,” said Van Koppersmith, President of Automotive Computer Services. “The Oxlo team is focused solely on integration, and that focus results in a very professional, efficient integration process, letting us focus more on our customer – the dealer,” added Koppersmith.

The Oxlo Dealer Communications Hub (DCH) enables more tightly integrated dealer systems that deliver greater value to all constituents, including dealers, OEMs, dealer system providers, other dealer business partners and ultimately the consumer.

ebBP Editor wiki

This document provides brief information about the ebBP Editor, and a User Guide for end-users presenting the usage and capabilities of the ebBP Editor. Please note that, this document DOES NOT provide a background on ebBP. Moreover, the ebBP Editor is based on the ebBP v2.0.1 specification, but is not dependent on this specification. That is, it can be easily adapted to future specification versions.

The ebBP Editor is a tool designed to help the user in creating generic as well as domain specific Business Process Specifications based on ebBP Version 2.0 by using semantic mechanisms. The editor lets the user to create Process Specifications from scratch or use the existing ones.

CEN/ISSS Workshop eBES organizes three ebXML Market Survey Events

With the support of the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry, the CEN/ISSS Workshop eBES organizes three ebXML Market Survey Events.

These events will take place respectively in:

• Madrid on 31 January 2006
• Lisbon on 1 February 2006
• Oslo on 8 February 2006

If you are interested do not hesitate to contact the organizers or the eBES Secretariat