Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 20:45:49 -0800 From: cil@cil.org (Component Integration Laboratory) Subj: CILab Brief CILab Brief =========== This is a brief introduction to Component Integration Laboratory (CILab), including its background, purpose, and goals. Transition to Software Components --------------------------------- Software developers want to create applications more quickly and deliver more functionality. Users want more control over the applications they use and the documents they create. Everyone wants to support multiple platforms and access to distributed information and services. Because of these needs, the industry is ready for a move to software components. Using software components, users can build compound documents that seamlessly integrate text, graphics, tables, multimedia, scripts, and other forms of content. In effect, sophisticated users can build custom applications. At the same time, software components allow software developers to focus on their competitive advantage, while providing a richer feature set by bundling multiple components. This allows them to leverage OEM software opportunities, and also to develop new business opportunities based on vertical bundles and a wider range of upgrade paths. The technology to make this move to software components is here today. Unfortunately we are starting to see the signs of a familiar problem -- multiple incompatible technologies, potential market fragmentation and awkward choices for developers and users. Providing a Reliable Foundation ------------------------------- A group of companies including Apple, IBM, Novell, Oracle, Sun, Taligent, WordPerfect and Xerox have come together to organize the Component Integration Laboratory (CILab) as an industry association that will provide a common foundation for software components. CILab is not a standards organization. Instead, the founders plan to have it adopt, maintain, license, and support essential software component technologies, such as object dynamic linking, object storage, scripting mechanisms, and compound document APIs. By providing reference source code for these foundation technologies, the Lab can make sure that a common software component architecture is rapidly implemented across all the major industry platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, and various UNIX systems. Foundation Technologies ----------------------- The founders are planning to start CILab out with a very complete set of foundation technologies: * The System Object Model (SOM), a highly efficient object dynamic linking mechanism, which supports multiple languages and provides a gateway to distributed object services. * Bento, a portable object storage library and format designed for the storage and interchange of compound documents and multimedia. * The Open Scripting Architecture (OSA) an automation and scripting API that supports application independent scripting, distributed automation, and workflow applications. * OpenDoc, a platform independent compound document architecture that supports integration of multiple software components into seamless documents and custom applications. Three of these initial technologies are already available from their developers: the System Object Model from IBM, and Bento object storage and the Open Scripting Architecture from Apple. IBM and Apple have announced their intent to provide these technologies to CILab in early 1994. The compound document API, OpenDoc, is being implemented in parallel by Apple, IBM, WordPerfect, and other companies, and these companies plan to transfer it to CILab when it is complete, in late summer of 1994. In addition to these initial technologies, over time CILab plans to adopt other technologies that enrich the industry-wide component software foundation. Several companies have already initiated discussions with the Lab regarding the possibility of donating specific technologies. Membership in CILab ------------------- We are planning to open CILab for general membership in early 1994. Lab members will gain participation in decisions and early access to technology. In addition, over time we are planning to provide a wide range of services to members, including certification to ensure interoperability, developer support, training, and co-marketing. We are very interested in talking to potential members to determine what technologies and services would have the greatest value to them as members of CILab. Contacting CILab ---------------- We'd be happy to answer further questions about CILab. If you would like to talk with us further regarding our plans, please contact us. Email: cil@cil.org VOICE: (415) 750-8352 Fax: (415) 751-4829 US Mail: Component Integration Laboratory 688 Fourth Avenue San Francisco, CA 94118 ..