XAPIA CALLS OPEN SUMMIT TO STUDY NEED FOR NEW DIRECTORY SERVICES API

SAN FRANCISCO, January 3, 1995 The X.400 Application Program Interface
Association (XAPIA) will host an open meeting for vendors and corporate
users of directory services products to investigate the need for a
consistent, simplified interface between client applications and the
directories that serve them.

The meeting will be held February 6 in La Jolla, California, at the
Sheraton Torrey Pines Hotel. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with
sessions planned from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There is no charge for
attendance, and a no-host lunch will be available. Individuals or
companies wishing to attend the meeting can pre-register by calling Leslie
Schroeder at 408/446-9158.

XAPIA called the meeting based on requests from a number of organizations
who would like to see a client directory API to complement the Common
Messaging Calls and Calendar and Scheduling APIs developed by XAPIA.

Following the open industry summit, the XAPIA Executive Committee will
decide whether to develop a directory API. New work would be in addition
to development of directory synchronization specifications now underway.
"XAPIA can be the forum for this development work if the directory
services industry pledges membership support and technical assistance,"
said Owens.

The February 6 open meeting will provide a forum for attendees to discuss
the need for an API that will allow applications to access directory
services in a consistent fashion, without regard for the location or type
of directory service involved. Different directory services exist, for
example, in a company's human resources department, in its messaging
administration directory, and in its marketing databases. Message-reliant
applications such as workflow, calendaring and scheduling, and electronic
forms all make use of information stored in these directories. With a
client directory API, application programmers would need no expertise in
directory service access in order to retrieve and use the information
stored in the various directories.

Broad Industry Support

"XAPIA began its work on standards for directories at the request of the
Electronic Messaging Association. With an EMA membership meeting scheduled
in La Jolla later in the week, we think many people will be able to
participate in this direction-setting work session," said Ed Owens, XAPIA
chairman.

XAPIA began working on directory services issues at the request of EMA.
Already underway is an effort to develop a file format for exchanging
directory information with other systems that supports a transition to
X.500. This file format will be transport independent, independent of any
particular directory mechanism, and capable of linking directory entries.
Directory synchronization work is being done jointly with the Open Systems
Environment Implementors Workshop at NIST, the government organization for
standards technology.

XAPIA, an open, non-profit association, has developed X.400 and messaging
standards used by many vendors and accepted by international standards
bodies. Member companies are American Express, Arabesque Software,
Attachmate Canada, Boeing Computer Services, BULL HN Information Systems,
Campbell Services, CE Software, Digital Equipment Corp., France Telecom,
Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Hughes Aircraft, IBM, Infonet Software
Solutions, LinkAge Software Inc., Lotus Development Corp., Microsoft
Corp., Microsystems Software, Novell, ON Technology, Oracle, RAM Mobile
Data, Retix, Tandem Computers, Wingra, Worldtalk, and XcelleNet.

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