Industry Leaders Launch OpenXRI to Provide Open Source Resolution Server for OASIS Extensible Resource Identifier

The growing need for an identification infrastructure that simplifies control of online identity and trusted data sharing across domain and enterprise boundaries has led to the formation of OpenXRI.org. Modeled after the Apache Foundation, the OpenXRI project will publish and maintain a community standard open source Extensible Resource Identifier (XRI) resolution server, the key component necessary to employ the XRI specification for trusted Internet identifiers, currently being developed within the OASIS standards consortium.

XRIs provide an identification and naming layer for applications requiring persistent, trusted endpoints for secure messaging and privacy-protected cross-domain data sharing and synchronization. Examples include dynamic Internet address books and calendaring services, privacy-assured white pages, single sign-on services, federated policy and reputation networks.

OpenXRI.org builds on the XRI specification produced by the OASIS XRI Technical Committee, which combines the strengths of a variety of companies, including AMD, AmSoft Systems, Cordance, Epok, Neustar and Japan's Nomura Research Institute. Many of these companies were instrumental in the creation of OpenXRI.org.

“The demand for open source implementations of OASIS specifications continues to build, and efforts like OpenXRI.org provide an essential step in advancing adoption,” said Drummond Reed of Cordance, co-chair of the OASIS XRI Technical Committee. “As the Committee prepares for XRI’s final public review, we invite those who support open source–as well as the entire community–to join us in developing XRI-based infrastructure.”

“The goal of OpenXRI is to provide a stable, freely redistributable open source resolution server that can be integrated into enterprise, ISP or software vendor architectures,” said John Ticer, vice president of product marketing at Neustar. “One way to understand this is to think of it this way: OpenXRI is to XRI resolution as Apache is to HTTP, the result will be the ability to easily add support for XRI identification.”

Epok, an identity rights management software firm in Bethesda, Maryland, donated the original source code, syntax and reference libraries to the organization.

“OpenXRI is a community effort, relying on the Apache 2.0 license, a known open source licensing model,” said Adarbad Master, CTO at Epok. “The result will be a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty free, transferable and sub-licensable XRI resolution server. We hope it will stimulate organizations from federal and enterprise markets to take a serious look at the benefits of XRI services.”

The OpenXRI.org resolution library will initially provide Java APIs for translation between XRIs and concrete Internet addresses such as URLs or IP addresses in applications requiring XRI resolution services. It will also include XRI ping and traceroute utilities. Ports for other software languages are planned in the near future.


	Home Management Team Partners XRI Links News & Events Contact Us Industry Leaders Launch OpenXRI to Provide Open Source Resolution Server for OASIS Extensible Resource Identifier The growing need for an identification infrastructure that simplifies control of online identity and trusted data sharing across domain and enterprise boundaries has led to the formation of OpenXRI.org. Modeled after the Apache Foundation, the OpenXRI project will publish and maintain a community standard open source Extensible Resource Identifier (XRI) resolution server, the key component necessary to employ the XRI specification for trusted Internet identifiers, currently being developed within the OASIS standards consortium. XRIs provide an identification and naming layer for applications requiring persistent, trusted endpoints for secure messaging and privacy-protected cross-domain data sharing and synchronization. Examples include dynamic Internet address books and calendaring services, privacy-assured white pages, single sign-on services, federated policy and reputation networks. OpenXRI.org builds on the XRI specification produced by the OASIS XRI Technical Committee, which combines the strengths of a variety of companies, including AMD, AmSoft Systems, Cordance, Epok, Neustar and Japan's Nomura Research Institute. Many of these companies were instrumental in the creation of OpenXRI.org. “The demand for open source implementations of OASIS specifications continues to build, and efforts like OpenXRI.org provide an essential step in advancing adoption,” said Drummond Reed of Cordance, co-chair of the OASIS XRI Technical Committee. “As the Committee prepares for XRI’s final public review, we invite those who support open source–as well as the entire community–to join us in developing XRI-based infrastructure.” “The goal of OpenXRI is to provide a stable, freely redistributable open source resolution server that can be integrated into enterprise, ISP or software vendor architectures,” said John Ticer, vice president of product marketing at Neustar. “One way to understand this is to think of it this way: OpenXRI is to XRI resolution as Apache is to HTTP, the result will be the ability to easily add support for XRI identification.” Epok, an identity rights management software firm in Bethesda, Maryland, donated the original source code, syntax and reference libraries to the organization. “OpenXRI is a community effort, relying on the Apache 2.0 license, a known open source licensing model,” said Adarbad Master, CTO at Epok. “The result will be a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty free, transferable and sub-licensable XRI resolution server. We hope it will stimulate organizations from federal and enterprise markets to take a serious look at the benefits of XRI services.” The OpenXRI.org resolution library will initially provide Java APIs for translation between XRIs and concrete Internet addresses such as URLs or IP addresses in applications requiring XRI resolution services. It will also include XRI ping and traceroute utilities. Ports for other software languages are planned in the near future.