OAGi announces Cloud Computing Initiative and support for Java Script Object Notation (JSON)

We are pleased to announce that today OAGi announced it has launched a Cloud Computing Initiative to ensure that the Open Applications Group Integration Specification (OAGIS) enables complete support for Cloud Computing.

The Cloud Computing Initiative is led by the Architecture Council within OAGi and is looking at additions or revisions that OAGi members think is important to continue to evolve the specification. As part of the Cloud Computing initiative, OAGi has taken a decision to support Java Script Object Notation (JSON) as a data exchange format for the data exchange data model defined by OAGIS. OAGi has released a Position Paper on this support for JSON and it is available for free today on the OAGi web site at http://www.oagi.org.

Over a 15 year period of time, OAGi has supported several technical expressions of their data exchange data model. In 1996, when the first release of the Open Application Group Integration Specification (OAGIS) was published, the expression form of the data exchange data model was a proprietary meta data format invented by OAGi.

Since then, many improved forms of data expression have been developed and the OAGIS technology evolved to support XML Document Type Definitions (DTD) in 1987 and then XML Schema (XSD) in 2002. In 2005, OAGi elected to evolve OAGIS to support a stricter Schema expression as defined by the UN/CEFACT Naming and Design Rules (NDR) and Core Component Technical Specification (CCTS). This change again improved the grammar expressions in OAGIS, reduced ambiguity, and improved both intra and inter supply chain interoperability.

“Oracle (ORCL) applauds the recognition of JSON by the Open Applications Group, Inc. (OAGi) as a data exchange format that complements EDI and XML for data integration. The canonical OAGIS data model expressed in XML and carried through in JSON adds the ability to enable end to end integration – integration from the back office applications to integration on the glass,” said Michael Rowell, Oracle Standards Architect. “Using JSON, data from heterogeneous applications, clouds, and partners are presented cohesively so that end users can better perform their job functions.”

“Devices coupled with pervasive networks are driving the need for exposing cloud-based data services to enable ‘any where’, ‘any time’ computing in the ecosystem,” added Abhijeet Ranadive, Enterprise B2B Architect, Cisco Systems (CSCO). “APIs that enable this integration paradigm will need to have a standardized light payload format and JSON fits the requirement. Defining OAGi standard in a JSON format is a way to bring together two best in class solutions to meet the information needs.”

OAGi News for October 2011

Our October 2011 newsletter went out today and a few of the highlights of the newsletter are just below. You can read it in its entirety here.

Chemical Industry Standards Direction Statement

From Tom Fannon, Chair, OAGIS Chemical Industry Council. (In shortened form. You can read the entire message in the newsletter itself.)

When CIDX was disbanded the Chem eStandards ownership migrated into OAGi and there were funds allocated to assist in efforts to migrate the Chem eStandards into OAGIS 10. The other work within CIDX was to be migrated into the ACC ChemITC eBusiness Networking Team.

This work is almost complete.  I want to thank the folks from Dow, Rhodia, Monsanto, and Elemica for providing many hours of time and insight over the past year.  Jim Wilson has provided an enormous amount of patience and guidance to the group that has allowed us to get where we are today.

Elemica also was invaluable as they provided high level message usage statistics that allowed the group to only concentrate on the used messages to accomplish our mapping exercise. As we plodded through our messages, we also relied on the folks from OAGi to enlighten us on where the best fit for our elements were.

The mapping work began in 2009 and extended throughout 2010 and 2011.  CIDX monies paid for the Chemical Industry Council within OAGi where this work was conducted.  We budgeted for three years of effort and as we were coming to the end of 2011, it was clear to me that we needed to find a way to extend the work for just a little while longer to ensure that there was output for our industry that would show where and how the Chem eStandards mapped into OAGIS 10.

We needed a little more money for that.  I knew that we were paying the ACC for managing our meeting as an eBusiness Networking Team.  That amounted to arranging the meeting, reviewing the agenda, publishing the minutes and that was about it. This was not a good use of our funds.  I did not see a lot of value and approached our ACC sponsor Gary Dick about trying to take the remaining funds and use them to secure a time extension for the Chemical Industry Council in OAGi.

My thought was that by the end of 2012 our work will have been complete.  Gary was okay with the idea and I proceeded down that path and am in talks with OAGi to determine what the Chemical Industry Council dues structure will be for 2012.  My personal opinion is that involvement with OAGi on the various sub teams is an excellent way to keep aware of trends.

Discussions during Procure to Pay meeting about what team participants from Merck, GSX, Microsoft, Oracle, Intel and SAP are faced with as they attempt to integrate with customers or internal applications have been eye opening to say the least.  Most definitely a window into the messaging future.  We need a way to foster the communication of this type of information for our industry.

I am very aware of budget constraints and the current state of the economy, yet I still am a believer in maintaining a networking community within our Industry on eBusiness activities.  I think it helps us all in understanding new trends in message standards, what certain industry segments are doing with messages, and ways to improve our supply chain efficiency.  So I created a group within LinkedIn called "Chemical Industry eBusiness Council".  If you want to be a member send me an email response. I will add you to the list.  To me it is a far less expensive way to maintain a network.

Thanks for all of your time and please be on the lookout from time to time for messages from myself or Jim Wilson on OAGi related to our work on migrating the CIDX Chem eStandards. We will be seeking your input as we get closer finalizing our mapping exercise.

REMINDER – Just Four Weeks until our Fall Plenary and Working Groups Meetings

If you have not already registered, we invite you to register for our upcoming Plenary and Working Group sessions to be held Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 and 17, 2011, at Oracle's Conference Center in Redwood City, California.

We have a very exciting Agenda so please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may be interested.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

·       Using OAGIS in the Cloud

·       Special Presentation from Oracle

·       OAGIS Case Studies

·       OAGi Updates and briefings on Council activities

·       Cloud Computing Panel "B2B and Cloud Computing."

You can learn more, view the agenda and register on our website here.

Update yourself on the OAGIS Implementers Page.

We have launched a webpage that enables users of OAGIS to register and tell the world how they have implemented OAGIS. This will give the people who have worked to save their company money and time an opportunity to get the credit they deserve. This also provides a way for solution providers to let end users know they support OAGIS and how they support it.

We welcome you to go to http://oagisusers.oagi.org or also you can access it at www.oagi.org.

Trade Compliance Working Group nearing completion

The OAGi Trade Compliance Working Group led by Vivian Javier of CDC Software has made tremendous progress and is nearing completion of their Construction Phase within the OAGi Development Methodology process.  This Working Group collaborated with the HR-XML Consortium to share content and is planning to reuse some of that HR-XML content in the final version of their work.

The content from this Working Group will be shipped in OAGIS Release 9.6, which is scheduled for the second quarter of 2012.  Stay tuned for more information on this upcoming OAGIS release.

OAGIS Release 10 work continues with five ongoing initiatives

The OAGIS Release Ten (OAGIS X) Working Groups continue to meet on a regular basis and we encourage your participation.  We can use all the smart people we can get!

All of these meeting are visible on our OAGi Calendar on the members part of the web site here.  You need to be logged in to view the members calendar.

All OAGi members are invited to join any of these groups.  Please contact me here.

Chemical Industry Standards Direction Statement

To the Chemical Industry Standards Community from Tom Fannon, Chair, OAGIS Chemical Industry Council;

When CIDX was disbanded the Chem eStandards ownership migrated into OAGi and there were funds allocated to assist in efforts to migrate the Chem eStandards into OAGIS 10. The other work within CIDX was to be migrated into the ACC ChemITC eBusiness Networking Team.  

The Chem eStandards when used by ACC member companies are used in various forms. Ashland uses 2.0 for orders and 4.0 for invoices which is very common.  We have not seen the need to migrate to 5.0 yet and until there is a business case to do so we probably will not.  However we are concerned about some of the unique features of our supply chain that were well defined by the Order to Cash Teams over the years in CIDX that must make the transition from a industry specific standard to a global standard.

Therefore, while we as an industry may not be implementing OAGIS 10, there was a need to map the high quality Chem eStandards into OAGIS 10 for our industry.  

This work is almost complete.  I want to thank the folks from Dow, Rhodia, Monsanto, and Elemica for providing many hours of time and insight over the past year.  Jim Wilson has provided an enormous amount of patience and guidance to the group that has allowed us to get where we are today.

Elemica also was invaluable as they provided high level message usage statistics that allowed the group to only concentrate on the used messages to accomplish our mapping exercise. As we plodded through our messages, we also relied on the folks from OAGi to enlighten us on where the best fit for our elements were.  

The mapping work began in 2009 and extended throughout 2010 and 2011.  CIDX monies paid for the Chemical Industry Council within OAGi where this work was conducted.  We budgeted for three years of effort and as we were coming to the end of 2011, it was clear to me that we needed to find a way to extend the work for just a little while longer to ensure that there was output for our industry that would show where and how the Chem eStandards mapped into OAGIS 10.

We needed a little more money for that.  I knew that we were paying the ACC for managing our meeting as a eBusiness Networking Team.  That amounted to arranging the meeting, reviewing the agenda, publishing the minutes and that was about it. This was not a good use of our funds.  I did not see a lot of value and approached our ACC sponsor Gary Dick about trying to take the remaining funds and use them to secure a time extension for the Chemical Industry Council in OAGi.

My thought was that by the end of 2012 our work will have been complete.  Gary was okay with the idea and I proceeded down that path and am in talks with OAGi to determine what the Chemical Industry Council dues structure will be for 2012.  My personal opinion is that involvement with OAGi on the various sub teams is an excellent way to keep aware of trends.

Discussions during Procure to Pay meeting about what team participants from Merck, GSX, Microsoft, Oracle, Intel and SAP are faced with as they attempt to integrate with customers or internal applications have been eye opening to say the least.  Most definitely a window into the messaging future.  We need a way to foster the communication of this type of information for our industry.

So while we have done a great job of working on the messaging part of our team's charter, we have struggled to create a community for our industry.  Perhaps it was the time commitment or the opinion that our current message versions are good enough or the lack of support within our companies, it all added up and I failed to create the type of network we had within CIDX.  I have approached some others to solicit some ideas on how to continue a networking team with little or no cost.

I am very aware of budget constraints and the current state of the economy, yet I still am a believer in maintaining a networking community within our Industry on eBusiness activities.  I think it helps us all in understanding new trends in message standards, what certain industry segments are doing with messages, and ways to improve our supply chain efficiency.  So I created a group within LinkedIn called "Chemical Industry eBusiness Council".  If you want to be a member send me an email response. I will add you to the list.  To me it is a far less expensive way to maintain a network.

Thanks for all of your time and please be on the lookout from time to time for messages from myself or Jim Wilson on OAGi related to our work on migrating the CIDX Chem eStandards. We will be seeking your input as we get closer finalizing our mapping exercise.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Chair, OAGi Chemical Industry Council
Manager eBusiness
Global Supply Chain * Ashland Inc.
tfannon@ashland.com

How Standards Boost Business

There is a tremendous new website resource available to all called “Standards Boost Business.”  

This website is hosted by the American National Standards Institute and does an excellent job of describing how standards boost business by streamlining, speeding up, and saving money for organizations.

The website describes a concept called Strategic Standardization.  The website goes on to tell us that according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, standards and conformity assessment impact more than 80% of global commodity trade. From design and manufacturing to distribution and marketing, all aspects of your industry’s products and services are affected at some point by standardization.

One case study helps prove this as the U.S. Department of Defense is projecting $789 million in cost avoidance over just one of their programs. The reason put forth is they focused on parts standardization and process standardization.

The website also has a section that describes the value of standards to industry, consumers, and government.

I invite you to visit this website to learn more about why we do what we do here at the Open Applications Group.  The website url is: http://www.standardsboostbusiness.org