XML
Why is everyone talking about it? What is it? What can it do for my business?
XML is now used extensively in eBusiness and information solutions. The technology enables the exchange of data between disparate systems and suppliers. It is of particular benefit in facilitating data exchange between older 'legacy' systems and new information databases.
Whilst XML and its many uses is rather a broad subject area to cover in detail here, one definition might be..
"a platform-independent, cross-industry set of 'standards' for the storage and manipulation of structured data
"
Which means...?
What XML provides, is a means of storing or passing your business data in a self-describing format, which can be used by various applications to exchange information, across different hardware and operating system platforms. So, for example, people with Microsoft, Unix, Linux or Mac based systems, each perhaps running software and database applications provided by a variety of vendors, have the ability to pass information between their systems in a form that is recognisable to all. This of course pre-supposes that all of the parties agree beforehand, or else have the information available to define the data using the previously agreed conventions.
So what does it look like?
As an example, the structured format used to describe a business or individual on a database might include Surname, Forenames, Address details, contact numbers etc.
'Marked-up' (the term used to describe the process of defining the individual elements that make up the data, by enclosing them within descriptive <tags>, for example <surname>Jones</surname> ), a typical set of name and address details might look like this...
(click to see)
...And how could it help my organisation?
One of the major benefits is that quite diverse applications from multiple vendors can exchange data, using a common, pre-agreed format. To put it another way, systems can be persuaded to talk to one another at last. Because it is a truly open standard, you are not forced to accept a particular solution - in order to become a link in the supply chain for example. XML formats lend themselves very well to changes and additions
The implications here stretch across a broad spectrum of business applications, for example, the same underlying data can be used to serve website content, outputs for reports or word-processed documents, supply chain information exchange (purchase orders, invoices, order status, stock enquiries etc.). Data can also be passed between existing (often referred to as 'legacy') systems and newly introduced applications, which in turn means that you have wider choice when it comes to mixing and matching systems and protecting your investment to date.
How can Ingenuus help ?
Ingenuus consultants have considerable experience in the practical application and deployment of large-scale XML based solutions within major blue-chip organisations such as Volkswagen, Reuters, and BMW Group - and have spoken at internationally attended conferences in Texas, Munich and London on the practical use of XML within business.
Our hands-on experience of XML content solutions, including the design and development of web based XML applications, has been refined over a number of years. Our expertise in these areas enables us to provide expert assistance and guidance to our clients. As examples, our own web-based products:
N-eManual
and
Paratus,
have been developed using XML technologies. (Our website has also been generated using XML to maintain the underlying content and styles).
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