Internet as e-business backbone for small and medium size companies

Ivan Magdalenic, Ivan Matasic, Ivo Pejakovic, Damir Pintar, Mihaela Sokic, Marko Topolnik

Most European countries have 90% or more of its economy in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Enabling smooth transition of SMEs towards e-business means adopting an e-business framework, as well as building the necessary infrastructure. The ability to present advantages of e-business to the corporate community and to propose solutions in adopting these strategies can be vital. Recent standard for electronic business, ebXML, provides solutions to a variety of problems in business communication between trading partners, such as SMEs. EbXML is designed to create an open source infrastructure, suitable for both SMEs and large companies. It ensures interoperability, low start-up costs, low complexity and robustness, and uses Internet as an e-business backbone.

This paper will present main features of ebXML standard over the Internet from both technical and business point of view. Ideas and strategies of founder organizations will be presented, to enable wider perspective of ebXML goals. Authors’ opinion on ebXML from the perspective of developing countries will be elaborated. Finally, we will present the results of ebXML based pilot projects.