The ebXML project received a boost recently as Sun released a J2EE-based implementation of the ebXML Registry/Repository, and the Open Applications Group Inc. announced the incorporation of ebXML into their canon of business transaction standards.

According to Sun, their implementation can "submit, store, retrieve, and manage resources to facilitate ebXML-based business-to-business partnerships and transactions. Submitted information may be, for example, XML schema and documents, business process descriptions, business context descriptions, UML models, business collaboration information, Core Components, or even software components."

No small application, the entire environment recommands a Sybase or Oracle installation and 256 MB of main memory. The EJB-based ebXML code is available free of charge from Sun, but does not include source code.

OAGI's Integration Specification (OAGIS) defines a large number of XML-based business objects for B2B and application integration in the areas of e-commerce, purchasing, manufacturing, human resource management and finance. They recently announced their intention to adopt ebXML, noting that OAGIS and ebXML were both "horizontal in nature and can be used in almost any industry sector."