Harmonized Messaging - A New Foundation for Automated Process Communication (2003-2006)
Abstract
Process communication, especially in web environments is characterized by complex interactions between heterogeneous and autonomous systems within the enterprise and often between trading partners. An overwhelming number of initiatives and proposals are underway to provide solutions for process specification and communication. However, the focus is often on defining APIs rather than the semantics of the underlying message exchange. We see a great potential in changing the current messaging infrastructure to suit its new role in facilitating complex, long running interactions for collaborative processes operating in a decentralized environment. This envisaged next generation of messaging technology will extend its ability to support dynamic business processes in a web-centric environment. Providing a level of harmonisation to multiple messages to form a single custom definable backbone of a newly formed message stream, creates a highly challenging new research direction. There is a strong potential that the project outcomes will present a new way of overcoming well understood difficulties in dealing with multiple communicating processes owned by different partners and executing on disparate systems.