REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 13, 1999 — At its press briefing on developing Web applications, Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the freely downloadable* BizTalk TM JumpStart Kit to aid developers in the immediate creation of BizTalk-compatible software applications. The Microsoft® BizTalk JumpStart Kit makes it easier for developers to use XML schemas and the BizTalk Framework in current development projects and existing applications and to realize the benefits of industry-standard eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for electronic-commerce and application integration within and across organizations. In addition, a library for BizTalk-compatible schemas is now live on the BizTalk.Org Web site, with more than 100 freely available schemas submitted by 30 organizations.
The BizTalk Framework 1.0 specifications will be submitted to the BizTalk steering committee for final review this month. The BizTalk Framework includes specifications, available to the public in draft since May, that outline XML design guidelines for developing and implementing BizTalk-compatible schemas. In October, the BizTalk steering committee will finalize and publish the BizTalk Framework 1.0 specifications. They will be published on the BizTalk.Org Web site, from which any individual or organization can download and use the guidelines to implement and publish BizTalk-compatible schemas.
“The BizTalk Framework provides developers with the guidelines they need to develop and implement XML in a consistent way, and the new JumpStart Kit provides tools that are familiar and easy to use,”
said Paul Maritz, group vice president of the Developer Group at Microsoft.
“Microsoft is committed to providing the developer community with tools and resources to further accelerate the adoption of XML standards to enable the next generation of Web applications.”
BizTalk JumpStart Kit
The BizTalk JumpStart Kit helps developers add XML features to existing or new applications and is currently available on the BizTalk.Org Web site and the MSDN TM developer program Web site. For developers who want to use schemas found in the BizTalk.Org library or schemas that they have created themselves, the JumpStart Kit provides tools, services and source code required to use BizTalk-compatible schemas.
BizTalk Schema Library
A wide range of organizations in many different industries, including software companies such as Clarus Corp. and Concur Technologies Inc., and industry-standards groups such as the HR-XML Consortium, have together contributed more than 100 schemas to the BizTalk.Org schema library.
Because the BizTalk Framework enables software applications based on different platforms, operating systems and programming languages to exchange data, documents such as product catalogs and purchase orders can be easily exchanged between software applications within an organization and with trading partners once they have agreed on a schema set. The BizTalk.Org library facilitates the publishing and discovery of technical details that describe these business documents. By contributing BizTalk-compatible schemas to the BizTalk.Org library, these organizations are making it possible for a broad community of developers to incorporate XML schemas that are developed in a consistent way into software for e-commerce and application integration.
BizTalk-compatible schemas can be downloaded from http://www.biztalk.org/ . The BizTalk.Org Web site serves as an online reference for BizTalk-compatible specifications, schemas, tools and sample applications as well as a community discussion group.
Microsoft Consulting Services and the BizTalk Framework
Based on a cost-recovery model, Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) is made up of 2,500 consultants worldwide to provide strategic planning, sharing of best practices for distributed computing and project assistance to customers and partners. MCS offers a full range of services to help developers take full advantage of the power of XML and the BizTalk Framework to simplify and streamline the development of enterprise solutions. Over the past year, MCS contributed to the design of the BizTalk Framework and BizTalk JumpStart Kit by working with customers and partners to build first-generation business-to-business e-commerce solutions. More information on MCS is available at http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp .
About the BizTalk Framework
Introduced in March, the BizTalk Framework makes it easy for businesses to exchange information between software applications and conduct business over the Internet with trading partners and customers. The BizTalk Framework includes a design framework for implementing an XML schema and a set of XML tags used in messages sent between applications. Microsoft, other software companies and industry-standards bodies will use the BizTalk Framework to produce XML schemas in a consistent manner to enable integration across industries and between business systems, regardless of platform, operating system or underlying technology.
The BizTalk steering committee, composed of industry-leading vendors, standards bodies and corporate customers, provides guidance on the future direction of the BizTalk Framework and includes American Petroleum Institute, Ariba Inc., The Baan Co., The Boeing Co., Clarus Corp., Commerce One Inc., Concur Technologies Inc., Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA), J.D. Edwards & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., Microsoft, Open Applications Group (OAG), PeopleSoft Inc., Pivotal Software Inc., RosettaNet and SAP AG. More information about the BizTalk Framework is available at http://www.biztalk.org/ . More information about Microsoft’s BizTalk Framework initiatives is available at http://www.microsoft.com/industry/biztalk/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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