It is now generally accepted that XML will become established as a key enabler for Web and Internet-based enterprise information exchange and distributed computing. However, many user organisations are finding it is difficult to know how best to adopt a technology that has a role to play in so many aspects of an enterprise's information and IT architecture.

At the 9th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW9), held in Amsterdam this May, RivCom, OASIS and the UK W3C Office ran a one-day Workshop of invited experts including XML consultants and representatives of vendors, standards bodies and user organisations. The aim of the Workshop was to identify and explore the issues facing organisations that are seeking to adopt XML and provide useful input to the Workshop organisers, who are considering the potential for developing a coherent set of materials that could be put in the public domain to support organisations seeking to gain benefit from the adoption of XML.

In this panel discussion participants in the WWW9 Workshop will report on the agreed conclusions of the event, but also dynamically represent the differing views and unresolved issues that emerged within the Workshop.

Note: At the time of writing the Workshop had not yet taken place so it is not possible to identify the issues and outcomes in this paper.