Title: Towards the architecture of managed dynamic virtual organisations for e-business communities

Authors: Adomas Svirskas, Bob Roberts, Michael Wilson

Addresses: Department of Computer Science, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, Vilnius LT-03225, Lithuania. ' Centre for Applied Research in Information Systems, Kingston University, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, UK. ' Business and Information Technology Department, CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK

Abstract: This paper explores the challenges of constructing a distributed e-business architecture based on the concept of the Dynamic (Request-Based) Virtual Organisation (RBVO), a B2B value network which is dynamically formed upon demand to meet identified business opportunities. In this paper, we investigate the steps involved in achieving inter-domain end-to-end business collaboration using the structural concepts of the RBVO by presenting a reference architecture and a framework (realisation of that architecture in a particular class of environments). The practical work was done within the framework of EU-sponsored research projects (LAURA, TrustCoM). The LAURA project, which aims to facilitate creation of interregional e-business zones for SMEs uses, where applicable, the potential of the ebXML architecture to support the innovative RBVO concept. The TrustCoM project concentrates on application of Web Services technologies for secure, trusted and manageable business interactions and VO management based on the choreographed collaboration concept.

Keywords: e-business; electronic business; SMEs; ebXML; business collaboration; virtual organisations; service-oriented architecture; peer-to-peer; P2P; web services; web based communities; online communities; B2B value networks; business-to-business; Greece; Germany; Bulgaria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2006.010310

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2006 Vol.2 No.2, pp.197 - 222

Published online: 13 Jul 2006 *

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