ACORD announced a reciprocal membership agreement with IFX Forum. Both organizations set information technology standards for message transmissions in financial services industries. They will cooperate in the development of XML standards for the electronic exchange of data in the insurance and banking industries. The collaboration is typical of recent announcements of alliances between standards bodies to consolidate development. The arrangement will combine the insurance expertise of ACORD and the banking expertise of IFX Forum. The organizations will focus on the base IFX specification and the proposed ACORD Insurance XML specifications to produce a framework supporting XML-based transaction services. Joint participation is underway. ACORD and IFX Forum have exchanged memberships and committed to participation in each other’s working groups. ACORD participants are assessing the base IFX specification and supplying IFX Forum with recommendations. In turn, IFX Forum will route insurance-related issues through the ACORD standards process. The IFX specification defines a messaging standard for secured IP-based banking business messages over the public Internet or private networks. The significance of XML and IP for the insurance industry is the progression from batch store-and-forward EDI transmissions to real-time messaging. Insurance business benefits include fast, reliable rates, quotes, applications, policies, claims and other transactions among a variety of trading partners-carriers, producers, rating bureaus, third-party administrators and service providers. As members increasingly look to supporting electronic commerce across all lines of business, ACORD is pursuing multiple open partnerships and alliances with U.S. and international standards-setting organizations. The goal is worldwide e-commerce connectivity throughout the insurance industry. www.acord.org, www.IFXForum.org
Category: Content technology news (Page 555 of 639)
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Microsoft submitted to the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) a draft specification for version 1.0 of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), a method for accessing objects over the Web that is neutral between object models such as COM and CORBA. SOAP uses XML to let developers write applications that call objects built with Microsoft’s Distributed Component Object Model, as well as non-Microsoft components. www.microsoft.com
Stack Overflow AG announced the commercial availability of the Mozquito Factory, an XHTML authoring environment. XHTML bridges HTML with the power of XML, bringing richer Web pages and more flexible Web applications for a wide range of platforms and browsers: from desktop PCs to televisions to kiosks to automobiles and mobile devices. Written entirely in Java, the Mozquito Factory is a client-side, stand-alone authoring environment. The Mozquito Factory significantly reduces authoring costs for complex, highly dynamic Web interfaces — saving hundreds of hours of programming time. Built upon a modular framework, the Mozquito Factory combines three independent applications into a toolkit: Mozquito Engine: to enable current browsers, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0 and higher, to process the extensibility and display next-generation data formats and standards, including XML and XHTML; XHTML Validator: to automatically validate any XHTML or XML document, optimize markup, and invoke the Mozquito Engine upon successful validation to view the Web page; and Factory Editor: to author and edit highly dynamic XHTML, XML and forms-intensive Web sites without scripting or programming. With the Mozquito Factory, users no longer need to worry about incomplete implementations caused by the browser wars or tiresome cross-browser scripting in JavaScript/JScript/VBScript or Java Applet programming. Developers can now design and create online shops, eCommerce applications, quizzes, polls, questionnaires, games, calendars, order forms, surveys, administration interfaces and complex, dynamic Web pages in minutes. Download the Mozquito Factory for a free 30-day trial at www.mozquito.org, www.stackoverflow.com/
TSI International Software Ltd. announced that it has combined its Mercator integration broker software with its Novera Web application integration product to deliver a – B2B integration broker. As the first new offering from the recent acquisition of Novera Software, this product will provide TSI Software’s customers with comprehensive capabilities, including XML integration and transformation, for deploying complex B2B integration solutions quickly, easily and cost-effectively. Customers will be able to Internet-enable any application by exposing and transforming existing business process interfaces as XML messages to trading partners over public and private networks and leverage their existing IT infrastructure in new B2B e-commerce initiatives. Using Mercator, customers are able to transform directly between XML schemas and schemas for any new and legacy supported content type, including EDI, CII, S.W.I.F.T., HL7, ACORD, SAP, PeopleSoft and RDBMS. Mercator provides the tools for extending the integration of applications and business processes to trading partners using XML, while protecting IT investment in existing information systems. Mercator’s XML support, coupled with Novera for hosting component-based server applications for the Internet, enables eBusinesses to integrate complex business processes with trading partners over public and private networks. Mercator and Novera are available today. TSI Software plans to offer the B2B integration broker in Q1 2000. Pricing and packaging details will be announced at a later date. www.tsisoft.com
Sterling Software, Inc. announced the general availability of EUREKA:Portal 2.0, the latest enhancement to the company’s EUREKA:Suite family of integrated business intelligence tools. Sterling Software has advanced their business portal to offer a broader range of personalization options, easier interoperability with existing systems via XML, and enhanced support for business-to-business implementations. EUREKA:Portal 2.0 provides a single point-of-entry for a broad range of business intelligence and enterprise applications. For IT administrators, it offers a centralized and customizable information interface for every user within an organization. For business users, it expedites the location, retrieval and organization of essential business information in an accessible interactive Web environment. In addition to providing a platform for accessing the complete range of analysis and reporting tools in the EUREKA:Suite family, EUREKA:Portal 2.0 also integrates with other existing corporate data sources within an organization. EUREKA:Portal 2.0 provides an expanded level of interoperability through XML and directory service enhancements. Significant upgrades to the product’s XML API broaden the Portal’s open environment and simplify the publishing of external file formats to the Portal. Customers can combine information from multiple sources and customize their access to the Portal via third-party applications. www.sterling.com/eureka
Chrystal Software announced Eclipse, a solution incorporating traditional Web pages and new, interactive content. Eclipse integrates with authoring software, Internet browsers, Web servers, and Web design software, and supports XML standards. With Chrystal Software’s Eclipse, businesses that want to add interactive content to their Web sites can do so rapidly and incrementally. Eclipse incorporates traditional Web site content, allowing the Webmaster to continue using familiar HTML editors, file system managers, and other tools. New, interactive content is defined and managed in a complementary fashion. Eclipse uses XML in a myriad of ways. As visitors move through the Web site, Eclipse combines XML user profiles and actions to generate interactive content requests. These requests are fulfilled with XML content, determined by a combination of content and tag searches. The resulting interactive content is styled and delivered to the visitor in rapid fashion. Very often, this interactive content is combined with other Web site content such as HTML and graphics files. The personalization is transparent to the visitor. Version 1.0 will be available in early 2000. www.chrystal.com
OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, announced that Craig Chevrier has joined the consortium as managing editor of XML.org. In this new position, Chevrier will drive editorial strategy and content for XML.org, an industry portal that provides vendor-neutral information about the application of XML in industrial and commercial settings. Chevrier brings extensive experience in web site production and editing to his position at OASIS. Most recently, he served as internet content manager for Trans World Entertainment, the largest music retailer in the United States. At Trans World, Chevrier led several XML implementations on www.TWEC.com, the company’s online retail and entertainment site. www.oasis-open.org
Hynet Technologies and Viador Inc. announced a joint development effort designed to help companies with time-to-market challenges to easily access and deliver dynamic, personalized information through Viador’s enterprise portal. As a result, users will be able to access the Hynet Directive XML repository via Viador’s E-Portal Suite, giving Viador customers access to business-critical information such as sales proposals, marketing collateral and globalization of e-Content. Viador’s E-Portal Suite is a single, web-based access point that provides an entire business community – employees, customers, and trading partners – with desktop access to the specific information they need to make better business decisions. Hynet Directive is expected to increase the value of Viador’s offering by incorporating sources of data that were previously difficult to integrate so that users can utilize all relevant information, regardless of its source. www.hynet.com, www.viador.com
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