IBM, Microsoft, Ariba Team Up

IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Ariba Inc. said they have teamed up to create a directory that aims to become the standard way for businesses to find and connect with partners on the Web. The three companies said they planned to have a framework for the directory available Thursday, listing the basic contact information for businesses by industry, along the same lines as Yellow Pages listings. A test registry with more detailed information about each company’s electronic commerce abilities and practices was expected to be up within 30 days. The proposed standard is called universal description discovery and integration and is based on XML (extensible markup language). Executives from the three companies said the registry could eliminate problems caused by companies having to work out connections for such systems as accounting and order fulfillment.