News

Extensibility Takes XML Authority for BizTalk

• By Scott Bekker
• 07/12/1999

XML Authority 1.1 will provide import and output support for BizTalk-compatible schemas and for schemas from standards bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C, www.w3c.org).

"The BizTalk Framework aims to accelerate the adoption of XML with a set of design guidelines that encourage the consistent development of XML schemas," says James Utzschneider, director of business frameworks for Microsoft, in a release on Friday. "Extensibility's XML Authority will facilitate this goal by providing [a] migration tool that customers can easily use to migrate their existing XML schemas to the BizTalk Framework."

Developers can use Authority to create and exchange schemas compliant with BizTalk, while existing formats can be ported to the Microsoft framework.

"This will enable users to get started now in developing BizTalk Framework compatible applications," says Reid Conrad, president and CEO of Extensibility. "Developers who want to publish for schemas in the BizTalk.org repository will be assured that their schemas meet the BizTalk Framework specification."

A special trail version of XML Authority 1.1 will be available for download from BizTalk.org next month. "This is the first indication that Microsoft is proceeding more or less according to the schedule that it set forth for BizTalk development during its announcement in March, aiming toward the release of a Microsoft BizTalk server at the end of the year," explains a report from analyst firm Zona Research Inc. (www.zonaresearch.com).

Extensibility is a member of the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS, www.oasis-open.org), which runs XML.org. OASIS is an independent standards committee, founded by the likes of IBM, Sun, Oracle and others, to design XML schemas. Zona reports that Microsoft has also recently joined and the interaction has been so far harmonious (see story in the July 19 issue of ENT). -- Brian Ploskina