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1 Introduction
With the spread of the internet, the transmission and exchange of data between enterprises is also expanding. Document transmission among enterprises in earlier days relied on a traditional electronic data interchange (EDI) method that sends documents via closed dedicated networks in accordance with the document standards defined by the enterprises. Although not optimal, the EDI system was nonetheless able to satisfy the basic requirements for information integration between enterprises. However, as enterprises have been increasingly challenged by globalization in various marketplaces and have needed to orchestrate strategies for global deployment, more complex systems have become necessary. The EDI model has simply become inadequate especially when enterprises plan to integrate more partners or seek to achieve strategic alliances.
Owing to the rapid development of Extensible Markup Language (XML) in recent years, enterprises have set operating standards for their electronic document-interchange procedures using XML format. This has improved the efficiency of data exchange between enterprises, and has led to the role of EDI in this field becoming much diminished. Governments and enterprises around the world have become eager to develop the data-interchange standards with XML format (DIS_XML).
2 Motivation
To assist enterprises in adopting information technology (IT) to increase their global competitive edge, the Taiwanese Government has initiated a "business to business (B2B) electronic business promotion program," and has selected the IT industry to pioneer the initiative. With its B2B electronic-business initiative for the IT industry implemented (from July 1999 to December 2001), the government supported three major global IT players (IBM, HP, and Compaq) in the development of a B2B e-procurement system with their 27 Taiwanese IT suppliers (so-called "Plan A"), and supported 15 major Taiwanese IT businesses in implementing a B2B e-procurement system along with their domestic suppliers (so-called "Plan B"). With Plan B, the 15 Taiwanese IT businesses, together with their domestic suppliers, introduced RosettaNet as the DIS_XML for their e-procurement procedures ([9] DIT, 2004). Among the increasingly widespread e-commerce protocols, RosettaNet was developed initially to specifically support the electronic industry. [26] RosettaNet (2006) helps companies of all sizes that represent multiple industries meet the demands of today's global supply chain by addressing the challenges of increasingly complex, global trading networks.
In addition to this IT initiative, the Industry Development Bureau (IDB)...