WSDLUDDI

UDDI is a directory service where businesses can register and search for Web services.

It is an XML-based cross-platform description specification that allows businesses worldwide to publish their services on the Internet.

What is UDDI?

UDDI is a platform-independent framework for describing services, discovering businesses, and integrating business services using the Internet.

• UDDI stands for Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration.
• UDDI is a directory for storing information about web services.
• UDDI is a directory of web services interfaces described by WSDL.
• UDDI communicates via SOAP.
• UDDI is built into Microsoft's .NET platform.

What is UDDI based on?

UDDI uses Internet standards from W3C and IETF, such as XML, HTTP, and DNS protocols.

UDDI uses WSDL to describe the interface to web services.

Additionally, by adopting SOAP, cross-platform programming features can be achieved. SOAP is the XML-based protocol communication specification, which can be found on the W3C website.

Benefits of UDDI

Industries or businesses of any size can benefit from UDDI.

Before UDDI, there was no Internet standard for businesses to provide information about their products and services to their partners. There was also no method for integrating into each other's systems and processes.

UDDI addresses the following issues:

• Enables the discovery of the right businesses among the millions currently online.
• Defines how to initiate business once the preferred business is found.
• Expands new customer acquisition and increases access to current customers.
• Extends sales and market reach.
• Meets user-driven needs and removes barriers to rapid collaboration in the global Internet economy.

How is UDDI used?

If an industry publishes a UDDI standard for flight rate checking and booking, airlines can register their services in a UDDI directory. Travel agencies can then search this UDDI directory to find airline booking interfaces. Once found, the travel agency can immediately communicate with this service, using a well-defined booking interface.

Who supports UDDI?

UDDI is an industry-wide research project driven by major platform and software providers such as Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Hitachi, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and Sun. It is both a consortium of market operators and a leader in e-commerce.

Hundreds of companies have joined the UDDI consortium.