In Brief: MDDL Gears Up for Version 2.1 of Its Schema

The Market Data Definition Language (MDDL) working group is planning the release of version 2.1 of its schema during the first quarter of 2003. The new version will complete coverage of equities and bonds, already covered in part by versions 1.0 and 2.0. It will also add coverage of futures, options and corporate actions. The working group additionally plans to incorporate a query mechanism to the schema as a whole, complete with examples, during the first quarter.

In Brief: Fidelity Blows Web Services Horn

Fidelity Investments has lauded the impact of Web Services, following its embrace of the technology to create a software infrastructure that allows companies with different computing systems interact and conduct transactions. The company believes that Web Services has allowed the unprecedentedly quick migration from basic XML over HTTP to SOAP 1.1 and WSDL to UDDI. The firm also keeps an eye on standard organizations like WS-I (Web Services Interoperability Organization), W3C (World Wide Web Consortium, OASIS and the Liberty Project to ensure that the environment is moving forward. The result has been that the majority of players is standardizing on SOAP 1.1 and WS-I, and working interoperability around security in order to have standard identity systems among platforms.