From: John Flynn (jflynn@bbn.com)
Date: 09/12/02
September 12, 2002 W3C and Oasis look for common ground [Financial Times Limited, All Rights Reserved] Asia Intelligence Wire via NewsEdge Corporation : Richard Karpinski 09/09/2002 The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and OASIS-two bodies building critical Web services and security standards-held a public forum recently to better coordinate their work in this crucial area. The symbolism of the effort was not lost. The two standard bodies are wrestling with how to avoid overlap while also coordinating their efforts to ensure key Web and XML specifications remain interoperable. "What we had intended when we organised this was to review the current state of security standards, where they fit together, and figure out the missing pieces," said Karl Best, OASIS director of technical operations. "What we discovered was that what people were most concerned about is that we need to work on the interoperability of existing specifications rather than work on new pieces." The W3C and OASIS already work together at an informal level-and it is important to note that OASIS is actually a W3C member. Said Janet Daly, W3C spokesman and the co-chair of the security forum: "[For the W3C], what's most important is to try to [forward] a broad-picture architectural model that doesn't forget the `Web' in Web services." Yet, although the groups have common goals, particularly a renewed emphasis on interoperability, the two go about their jobs in very different ways, especially in the area of Web services security. Depending on who you ask, at least some of the work that ultimately ended up in the WS-Security specification-now moving on a standards track at OASIS-began at the W3C. Clearly, the W3C saw some of the technology directions that WS-Security defines as within its realm of influence. But when the time came for WS-Security creators IBM, Microsoft, and VeriSign to take their work and place it in a standards body, it chose OASIS. OASIS CEO Patrick Gannon said his body is the perfect place for such business-driven specifications. "What OASIS is really about is taking the core standards, things like SOAP and digital signatures, and applying them to business needs." At the same time, the W3C's more rigorous processes-with plenty of public discussions, drafts and re-drafts-may not always appeal when commercial vendors are leading a standards process, said W3C's Daly. Not to mention the fact that, at least for now, the W3C demands only royalty-free technical submissions, while OASIS members can build specifications with technologies that ultimately may draw licence fees. "It is easier for that first draft to be written with your friends," said Daly. "You don't have to work with the whole room." In the end, neither group "controls" the work that gets done or which standard body does it-both are driven by their members. OASIS' Gannon said his group and the W3C will, driven by member feedback, look for new areas where they can better coordinate their efforts. One candidate might be UDDI, which OASIS recently picked up, but which must work closely with W3C-driven technologies like WSDL, or Web Services Description Language. Another area is Web messaging, and the intersection of SOAP and ebXML, he said. Not to mention that the two groups' security efforts will continue to feed off one another. "Clearly, what we've tried to do this week is reinforce the openness and cooperative spirit between the two groups," Gannon said. Copyright 2002. All Rights Reserved. Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire http://www.ibm.com <http://www.ibm.com/> http://www.microsoft.com <http://www.microsoft.com/> <<Asia Intelligence Wire -- 09/11/02>> << Copyright ©2002 Financial Times Limited, All Rights Reserved >> John Flynn (703) 284-4612 DAML Integration and Transition PM BBN Technologies
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