Web Service Interoperability Initiative

• Need for Collaboration
• Seeding the Initiative
• Where We Stand
• Web Service Interoperability Initiative Contact Form

Need for Collaboration

Typically, large companies have a heterogeneous mix of IT applications and platforms. There are many reasons for this diversity:

• Engineering needs for specific systems driving product selection
• Multiple applications acquired as a result of merger activity
• Major product vendors selecting platforms based on their own technology evaluations
• Projects buying best-of-breed solutions rather than specific platform "fit"

While this diverse environment allows for strong alignment of individual solutions to specific business problems, there are significant issues experienced where integrated business solutions are required.

There is recognizable value and a competitive advantage if a corporation can develop a capability to provide a technically consistent approach to business interchange.

Seeding the Initiative

The need for defining one set of standards for corporations for service-oriented architecture (SOA) capabilities has been recognized by most industry experts and corporations. For more than two years, SAIC has been actively involved with BP and other energy companies in the definition, development, and implementation of SOA interoperability standards.

In February 2008 the kick-off event for the Energy SOA Interoperability Collaboration Forum was held in Houston. One of the primary outcomes from that event was an agreement by several companies to participate in an initial interoperability standards project.

The Web Services Interoperability Technical Standards project kicked off in early March 2008 with a timeline of approximately six months to complete a draft standard, have that document reviewed with a larger community (which expressed an interest in the initiative), vet the standards in a public forum, establish a means for publishing the document and a plan for extending and keeping the standards up-to-date.

Where We Stand

Using the standards document provided by BP as a starting point the working team (comprised of representatives from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Occidental, Saudi Aramco, Shell and SAIC) has completed reviews and edits at what will be the Web Service Interoperability Technical Standards document. The draft standards document has been reviewed by a community of interested parties. The feedback from that review is being incorporated into the next draft of the document which will be provided for a public vetting for additional feedback.

We have also started the process of transitioning the ownership of the standards to Energistics which includes the (trans)formation of the working team to a Technical Architecture Work Group under the Energistics Industry Services Special Interest Group (SIG). In addition, we will be leveraging Energisitics capabilities for guiding the public vetting of the standards document.

Web Service Interoperability Initiative Contact Form

Please complete the form below if you would like to receive updates on the progress of the forum. If you would like to participate in the forum, please select "Participation in Initiative" when completing the form. In case of any questions, please indicate that you would like someone to contact you.