Systems integrators are playing
a key role in B2B projects, according to a report recently published
by Frost and Sullivan. The survey, European End-Users e-Commerce
Markets, identifies the relationship between the systems integrator
and third-party software vendors as crucial.
Crucial also to the success
of e-business projects is the adoption of standards to ease the
integration problem. The issue of standards in e-business will
get an airing at the e-2001 conference, which is to be held in
Venice, October 17-19.
Extensible Markup Language
(XML) is one of the important integration topics addressed by
conference speakers. XML brings structure to the Internet and
is particularly useful for user interfaces and for making assertions
and assumptions about the meaning and relevance of data. The
use of XML for content management, structuring knowledge and
for application in remote control of public kiosk systems will
be discussed at the conference.
Julian Johnson of BAE Systems
in the UK will also be talking about the role of the emerging
Application Protocol AP-233 as an essential enabler to e-business
and e-work. AP-233 is part of the STEP (Standard for Exchanging
Product Model Data) standard. STEP has been under development
for some years now. Initially driven by concerns to reduce the
costs associated with data transfers between different and often
incompatible computer-aided design systems, the driving force
behind STEP is now much more strategic. STEP is seen as one way
of improving product data management and communications within
and across enterprise boundaries.
e2001 is the conference for
RTD projects in Key Action II of the IST programme, who are also
the primary sponsors of e-2001. Major sponsors are Telecom Italia,
Canon and InfoCamere. |