Oasis, proponent of ebXML, says it will integrate Microsoft's rival SOAP standard to create a single, broad protocol for electronic business messaging.
Unified standards for doing business online are one step closer as Microsoft and IBM have settled their differences regarding e-commerce protocols.
Since 1999, Oasis, backed by IBM, has been promoting the use of the ebXML (electronic business XML) messaging specification, together with a consortium of about 130 vendors including BEA and Sun. Microsoft developed a rival standard, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), and submitted the standard to the W3C for review. Oasis criticised SOAP as being too light on features, whereas Microsoft claimed ebXML was taking too long to formulate.
Now, Oasis has announced it is working to integrate SOAP 1.1 and SOAP with Attachments specifications into the ebXML Messaging Specification. This development by ebXML is hoped to result in a single open standard for reliably transporting electronic business messages over the Internet.