Re: Catalog Interoperability Standards

From: Matthew da Silva <mdasilva_at_ibd.yamatake.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 09:40:01 -0500 (CDT)

MATTHEW DA SILVA WROTE:
> >Both J.D. Edwards and Dun & Bradstreet have announced
> >separate intentions to pursue interoperable catalogs. The
> >UN-backed standard allows buyers and sellers to search by
> >noun, noun/modifier, noun/modifier with attributes, and
> >UN/SPSC code...

TO WHICH DAVID OLMSTEAD REPLIED:
> I get a lot of value from the information everyone shares
> here. Maybe this is just a stupid newbie perspective, but
> without lessening the quality of information, would it be
> possible to throw a little more explanation in for some of
> the buzz words, phrases, and Jargon (for example, is UN the
> United Nations? and what is an SPSC code?)

Thanks Dave, but I was hoping that some of you out there
could help me to understand this press clipping, which I
posted purely in order to help me understand the
consequences of such tie-ups. We had a discussion here some
time ago about getting information catalogued in a way that
would help in Internet searching. There was talk about
hiring thousands of librarians and paying them nothing in
anticipation that they could charge access or advertising
fees to subscribers or to adcos. This concept was shot down
in a blaze of logic by a person with experience in the field
of notarization. In the meantime, XML gets more column
inches in the business press and the U.S. government is
starting to purchase XML-based procurement software from
companies located in Salt Lake City. Very suspicious,
indeed. Serving a government that is eager to reduce its
total cost of ownership and please its political bosses,
enter CommerceNet. But in order to achieve data
transparency without a ! traditional EDI environment, there
is a requirement for standardized product terminology. Such
standards would hurt marketers and advertising companies,
and also hurt the owners of established brands (it might be
supposed -- we'll see the real implications in the future).
Standards would, however, help consumers who want to find
the products they desire, when they want them and at a price
that they are willing to pay. Sound like Ebay, Amazon? But
for new goods, first, one must create more cooperative
efforts such as the likes of D&B and J.D.E. are enroling
their best minds in. Let's also remember that Harbinger is
a traditional EDI software/services firm which is concerned
about erosion of its market share as new startups --
supported by Microsoft (Commerce One) and CommerceNet
(Ariba) -- get the critical first advantage in ecommerce.

As for UN, yes it means exactly as you surmise. SPSC codes,
well, I'll have to consult my HotBot. As for
market-specific procurement agencies and technology
associations, thousands of them exist and they have all the
information we need in their files. Call Maxwell Smart!
It's just a matter of cataloguing it and putting it into
some application software. Ahem.

Matthew da Silva
Online Solutions, International Business
Yamatake Corporation, Tokyo
mdasilva_at_ibd.yamatake.co.jp

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Received on Wed Jun 16 1999 - 15:41:51 CDT