John Ogilvie

Many companies have been building P2P systems for a number of years, even before Napster made P2P famous. In fact, P2P has been around for a long time under other names. Distributed computing is the most accurate - it captures the essential idea the best. The idea is simply that just as client/server replaced mainframe-centric architecture, client/server will be replaced by an even more decentralized architecture. In this decentralized architecture, every organization is a "peer" of every other organization. It provides services to some and requests services from others. There's no central omnipotent server surrounded by dependent clients. Instead, there's a distributed network - a federation - of independent servers that connect to each other on an ad hoc basis to accomplish the tasks of the moment. The Web, as originally conceived, was a distributed system. All We... (more)

A Pragmatic Convergence of ebXML & Web Services

The 18-month-old Electronic Business XML project ended officially in Vienna this past May 11, 2001. ebXML was an ambitious and high-profile initiative of two neutral industry groups: OASIS and the United Nations' Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT). What was the mission of ebXML? According to the ebXML Web FAQ: "ebXML 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 ... (more)