Subject: XML/EDI

From: Don Isenor <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 03 May 2000 16:41:29 -0400

Apologies if this has been discussed before, but I have heard that
XML/EDI covers pretty much the same ground as does IOTP, but XML/EDI
appears to have much more widespread backing than does IOTP. Can anyone
here comment on IOTP vs. XML/EDI?

Don Isenor
Ambercon Inc.

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From: "Donald E. Eastlake 3rd" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 19:13:34 -0400

I'm much more familiar with IOTP than EDI or OBI but it is my
impression they have very different aims:

IOTP is desigined for consumer to merchant interaction where there is
not a prior existing relationship.  It provides for the merchant
function to be split among multiple machines (store front, payment
handler, delivery handler, ...) and other features.

OBI (Open Buying on the Internet), as I understand it, is designed for
business to merchant interaction where there is a prior relationship.
It provides for the business purchasing function to be split into
requisitioner, approver, treasurer ... and other features.

EDI, as I understand it, is designed for business to business
interaction.  At least original, it required an extensive prior
relationship.  In fact, it was commonly estimated to cost between
$10,000 and $15,000 to set up an EDI connection between a pair of
businesses because it was really just a very broad framework as
indicated by its name, Electronic Data Interchange.  The actual
message contents to be used needed to be agreed upon.  In some cases,
EDI was more or less forced on suppliers by major purchasers as part
of the price of being one of suppliers.  I understand that there are a
lot of efforts at simplified and/or standardized EDI to try to make it
easier to set up.

IOTP is already in XML but I understand that both OBI and EDI are
headed that way.  I suppose it is possible that at some point they
could all merge.  But right now, I believe they provide quite distinct
services.

Donald

From:  Don Isenor <[email-masked]>
Date:  Wed, 03 May 2000 16:41:29 -0400
To:  iotp <[email-masked]>
Message-id:  <[email-masked]>