In all of these case studies, companies used XML to create a system-independent data format. The XML documents represent structured data that can be moved from one system or process to another. As front-end and back-end applications change, the XML traveling between them remains constant. Even better, as more front-end and back-end applications are added to the mix, the use of XML insulates the existing applications from any changes. As Web services become more common, XML will also be used to transport the data.

For more information on these case studies, contact IBM's Sam Thompson at thompsam@us.ibm.com. You can find more information on the Province of Manitoba at www.gov.mb.ca, First Union's Web site is firstunion.com, and Hewitt Associates are on the Web at hewitt.com.