A federated architecture-based e-business platform

While SMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) are the largest group of businesses in Europe, their requirements for doing business with each other in an interoperable and cost-effective way have not been in focus until the last couple of years. The European Commission has sponsored the IST project ABILITIES (Application Bus for InteroperabiLITy In Enlarged Europe SMEs) to build a comprehensive solution for SMEs in an enlarged Europe. This will be achieved by studying, designing and implementing a B2B enterprise interoperability solution; such a solution would involve a federated architecture based on adaptive and intelligent UBL active messages to support complete Order-to-Invoice processes of SMEs