Because XML is very flexible and easy to adopt, and because there is a significant demand for XML business documents there are many XML standards activities all with different scope, target users and intended deliverables. This section intends to give a brief overview and source for more information on the most significant ones.

This is a joint initiative by CEFACT and OASIS to produce a global XML business standard. This incorporates business documents and also the infrastructure needed to manage XML exchanges and in the long term establish XML registries and repositories. ebXML has significant support from both software vendors, users and EDI experts and has recently completed specifications. See http://www.ebxml.org/ for more information.

EAN.UCC released their first version of a global standard XML suite in July 2001. Developed in conjunction with business users, the standards reflect, and address, the real requirements of business today. The EAN.UCC XML set is aimed at providing a solution to the major challenges that B2B faces today in exchanging e business documents. See http://www.ean-int.org for more information.

EbXML was developed in an open process jointly sponsored by the UN/CEFACT and OASIS (Organization for Structured Information Standards) to standardize XML-based messaging and information interchange in Internet transactions between companies. UN/CEFACT is the United Nations body that develops policy and technology to facilitate trade and electronic business worldwide.

The OAGI Integration Specification (OAGIS) defines over 182 XML-based business objects (BODs) for business-to-business and application-to-application integration in e-Commerce, purchasing, manufacturing, logistics, human resource management and finance. It is expected that OAGI support for ebXML will significantly accelerate broad-based adoption of this specification. OAGI is currently believed to have the largest installed based of any XML-based set of business messages.

EbXML, sponsored by UN/CEFACT and OASIS, is a modular suite of specifications that enables enterprises of any size and in any geographical location to conduct business over the Internet. Using ebXML, companies now have a standard method to exchange business messages, conduct trading relationships, lcommunicate data in common terms and define and register business processes.