Universal Business Language: Checkup Time for an XML Vision

M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 7 I E E E S O F T W A R E 1 1 3 X ML today routinely helps businesses and governments write applications and do Web-based tasks that were beyond most people’s imaginations back in 1999, when the inklings of an open standard called Universal Business Language first appeared. Crafted by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, UBL provides a royalty-free set of XML-based business documents—such as purchase orders—for e-commerce invoicing and ordering. The UBL’s original goal was to fuel global e-commerce by simplifying paper-heavy processes. UBL 1.0 became an OASIS standard in November 2004; UBL 2.0 appeared in December 2006. The OASIS UBL effort continues to boast a distinguished technical committee. However, if you’re not familiar with UBL, you’re not alone. The standard hasn’t become well known in the US, nor has it gained traction with US businesses, industry analysts say. The announcement of UBL 2.0 in December made little news.