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XML is becoming the universal standard for information description for
the Internet. As a technology its effects will permeate every aspect of
programming, from embedded systems to graphical interfaces, to
distributed systems and database management. It has become the de facto
standard for data communication in the software industry, and is rapidly
replacing EDI systems as the primary medium for business interchange. In
time, it could well become the foundation for Internet application
servers.
The key driver for the deployment of XML is the need for internal and
external enterprise integration. Companies can no longer afford to
function independently in the e-business world; they increasingly find it
necessary to allow access to internal business applications for customers
and partners. Traditional EDI solutions are complex and expensive. The
use of XML presents an immediate solution to the integration needs of the
enterprise, allowing the business process to be streamlined and margins
increased.
Within the enterprise message-based EAI has evolved considerably,
taking advantage of both XML and SOAP (a mechanism for supporting RPCs
over HTTP using XML). Today, EAI servers are ubiquitous, and they may
soon blend into the Web Services background. Indeed, specialized
e-commerce protocols layered on top of SOAP, such as BizTalk and
ebXML, are looking more and more like the next generation of EAI. But
instead of being used to integrate disparate systems within a single
organization, they are being applied to the more challenging problem of
enabling e-commerce between many different organizations.
This Report provides a comprehensive analysis of XML, SOAP, and EAI,
and considers how they can be effectively exploited in the enterprise.
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