Semantic Interoperability How eBusiness standardization is making progress Barbara Gatti CEN/ISSS Workshop Manager

1. Semantic Interoperability How eBusiness standardization is making progress Barbara Gatti CEN/ISSS Workshop Manager Inter-OP ESA 2005 ~ Genève, 22 February 2005

2. Overview • CEN/ISSS eBIF • Other related CEN/ISSS activities • UN/CEFACT • CEN/ISSS WS/eBES

3. CEN/ISSS “The mission of CEN/ISSS is to provide market players with a comprehensive and integrated range of standardization-oriented services and products, in order to contribute to the success of the Information Society in Europe” • Created in mid-1997, CEN/ISSS acts as a focal point for ICT issues within CEN • Provides consensus documents through Workshops, TCs and Focus Groups • Other activities (R&D links, consortia overview, etc.)

4. Some data • 8 Technical Committees producing formal ENs • 50 Workshops from 1998 • 12 WSs open, 4 proposed • 75 CWAs • 160.000 CWAs downloads • 800 registered WSs participants, 55 countries

5. eBusiness Interoperability Forum eBIF should serve as the European platform for the consideration of interoperability solutions relating to eBusiness, and make strategic recommendations concerning standardization activities required Objectives: • Improve awareness of interoperability issues • Overview of eBusiness standards issues generally • Recommendations on future standards • Overview/coordination of CEN/ISSS activities • Liaison with European research projects and other interoperability initiatives globally

6. eBIF in practice(2) • Chair: Dick Raman, TIE Vice Chairs: David Sommer, CompTIA Freek Posthumus, NORMAPME • Secretariat: CEN/ISSS • Currently 70+ on exploder (different stakeholders) • Launched in 2004 -3 working meetings in 2004

7. eBIF – achievements in 2004 (3) • Some activities started • Forum has already provided advice and opinion on new standards activities • Established links with some Asian countries (Korea, China, Japan) • Collaboration starting with NIST eBusiness Standards Convergence initiative

8. eBIF – challenges x 2005 (4) • Next meeting: 1st March - Strengthening collaboration with other interoperability initiatives - Recommendations on standards activities • Conference to be held end 2005 (Brussels?) - role of standards in eBusiness interoperability • role for Europe in eBusiness interoperability • under definition

9. CEN/ISSS other relevant activities • eGovernment FG • eHealth Standardization FG • WS/eInvoicing • WS/eCAT – e-catalogues and product classification schemas • WS/eProcurement • WS/TEX-WEAVE Textile and clothing industry • WS/ADNOM EU Network for administrative nomenclature

10. COPRAS “Co-operation platform for research and standardization” • Objective: To establish a supporting action to enable FP6 IST projects to interface with standardization activities while increasing standards awareness within RDT area • IST SSA 2004-2006 • CEN, CENELEC, ETSI, W3C, The Open Group

11. COPRAS - achievements • All calls 1 & 2 projects addressed • Selected projects invited to k.o. meeting • 14 selected for preparation Standards Action Plans Broadband access: Gandalf Simplicity Broadwan Security issues: Secoqc Semantic based systems: Similar Languages/multimodal interfaces: Talk Smart houses&home networking: Enthrone, ePerSpace, MediaNet, TEAHA eLearning: ELeGI, TERCERT, UNFOLS, ICLASS

12. UN/CEFACT “United Nations Center for facilitation of Administration, Commerce and Transport” Within the UN, UN/CEFACT is located in the Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) • Is the focal international arena for development and adoption of eBusiness standards for enabling international trade and eGovernment to function effectively • +1500 experts (from both public and private sector) participate in the work • re-organized in 2004

13. UN/CEFACT structure • CEFACT plenary (plenary bureau) • UN/CEFACT Secretariat • Forum Mgmt Group • Service Support Providers • Permanent groups: TBG International Trade & Business Processes LG Legal TMG Techniques & Methodologies ICG Information Content Management ATG Applied Technologies • Rapporteurs (regional, standards, legal)

14. ebXML • MoU between UN/CEFACT and OASIS (1999) • UN/CEFACT: semantics 13 sectors transactions, data, xml schemas, CCTS, naming/design rules • OASIS: technical infrastructure

15. Core components Current submission list - TBG TBG1 Supply Chain and eProcurement TBG3 Transport TBG6 Construction (eTendering) TBG8 Insurance - Joint UN/CEFACT & ISO UNTDED including WCO & UNeDocs - External EAN.UCC (now GS1) SWIFT OAGi OASIS UBL US Government Open Exchange ebXML Asia

16. CEN/ISSS WS/eBES EU Entry point to UN/CEFACT Dealing with ebXML and EDI Work is carried out in working groups (EEGs) which develop inputs to UN/CEFACT standardization process: • EEG1: trade and supply chain • EEG2: transport • EEG3: customs • EEG4: finance • EEG5: Architecture, Engineering and Construction • EEG6: statistics • EEG7: insurance • EEG8: tourism, travel and leisure • EEG9: healthcare • EEG11: accounting

17. UN/CEFACT - conclusions • UN/CEFACT (and CEN/ISSS WS/eBES) can be the platform for dialogue between private and public users • ongoing projects focus on eCatalog and eTendering with participants from UK, FR, DE, JP, Korea • More participation from industry is necessary to identify specific requirements

18. URL: http://www.cenorm.be/isss www.unece.org/cefact/ www.disa.org e-mail: barbara.gatti@cenorm.be Thank you!