E-business standards consortium RosettaNet spread its wings over
Singapore with the opening of its Architecture Center of Excellence, the
group said Friday.
The Santa Ana, Calif.-based organization said the $1.4 million center
is a collaboration with Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)
and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP). Private and public firms Cisco Systems,
GridNode, HP, IBM, Institute for Information Industry, Intel, Microsoft,
NCS, Oracle and Singapore Computer Systems have also pledged support for the center.
The center gives RosettaNet and its partners a way to help small and
medium enterprises in the region streamline supply chain communications
while working within the confines of local laws and customs. RosettaNet said
it could also help its clients explore how they can take advantage of the
latest in Web services
Following the establishment of its Architecture Advisory Committee,
RosettaNet said the center will also
take advantage of industry standards in high-tech segments and adjacent
verticals, and is expected to “further drive business benefits, including
reduced inventory ‘days of supply’ (e-logistics), improved cash flow
(e-payment), accelerated time-to-mark (collaborative design) and overall
improved supply chain visibility.”
Herman Stiphout, president of RosettaNet, said Singapore is a perfect place
to set up operations as manufacturing and supply chain activity moves en
masse to Asia. The consortium has made great progress in the last few years
with similar centers in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and with
China’s Ministry of Standards and Technology.
“As B2B industry infrastructure continues to mature, a greater number of
emerging technologies and related frameworks are introduced into the
marketplace,” Stiphout said in a statement. “In creating the center,
we acknowledge that architecture is a critical element of the standard.
This is a significant opportunity for RosettaNet to accelerate strategic consortium
initiatives that drive worldwide adoption and implementation,” he continued. “In addition,
the center helps strengthen RosettaNet’s footprint in Asia and drives
continued collaboration with dynamic industry partners, such as IDA and NYP, as
well as our valued member community.”
NYP will host the center at its School of Information Technology in
Singapore and provide resources to manage the operations and coordinate
development work. Staff and students will have opportunities to engage in
projects and capability development programs. Additional
resources, such as on-loan architects, hardware and software, are being
sponsored by RosettaNet’s corporate partners, including Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft
and Intel.
Initially, the center will include nine architects and a director.
Ongoing, the team said it would cooperate with RosettaNet’s Architecture
Office, reporting directly to Paul Tearnen,
RosettaNet vice president of Standards Management. And the center’s staff will regularly interface with members of
RosettaNet’s Architecture Advisory Committee, as well as partners and staff.
In October 2004, a delegation representing the Architecture Center is
scheduled to visit RosettaNet at its corporate headquarters for a two-month
training program. After that, the commission returns to Singapore for
hands-on application training in the center.
