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Aftermarket Associations Support Open Standards for e-Commerce

Industry Council Endorses OAGI Standard for XML

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – June 21, 2002 – The Aftermarket Council on Electronic Commerce (ACEC) has voted to support the software interconnectivity standards of the Open Applications Group, Inc. (OAGI). The action paves the way for broader integration between applications used throughout the automotive supply chain.

The Open Applications Group Interoperability Specification (OAGIS) is a collection of business collaborations and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) messages in the form of OAGIS Business Object Documents (BODs), which enable software applications to exchange data in a standardized structure. The unanimous ACEC vote of support for OAGIS signifies a strong basis in the aftermarket for the development of XML messages.

"We are pleased that the ACEC, and the huge constituency it represents, has endorsed OAGIS as its XML strategy," said David Connelly, CEO of the Open Applications Group. "With automotive manufacturers through AIAG, and automotive retailers through STAR/NADA, already using OAGIS, the aftermarket groups are doing the right thing to ensure interoperability throughout the automotive industry. They are to be commended for this decision, and we are very excited about working with them."

Scott Luckett, vice president of Information Technology for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) said, "By supporting OAGIS 8.0, manufacturers and their software providers will find a high level of reusability as they apply these applications to the aftermarket and the OE supply chains. By supporting open e-commerce standards, such as OAGIS, aftermarket companies can dramatically reduce the cost of integrating software solutions with those used elsewhere in the automotive industry."

The Open Applications Group is a non-profit consortium of solution providers and customers focused on best practices and process-based XML content for eBusiness and Application Integration. It is the largest publisher of XML-based content for business software interoperability in the world. Open Applications Group, Inc. members have more than seven years of extensive experience in building this industry consensus-based framework for business software application interoperability. For more information about OAGI, visit the web site at www.openapplications.org.

The Aftermarket Council on Electronic Commerce (ACEC) is an international volunteer organization that facilitates the development and communication of electronic commerce standards among motor vehicle aftermarket trading partners. The group consists of representatives from all major trade associations across most aftermarket industry segments. For more information about ACEC projects, visit www.aceconline.org.

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Note: A copy of this news release is available at www.aceconline.org.