XML Version 1.0 arrived in February 1998, when a World Wide Web Consortium working group, led by Bosak, took the Standard Generalized Markup Language and streamlined it into a practical metalanguage. Version 1.0 remains the current specification, and details of when the next incarnation will appear are sketchy. And some mystery surrounds XML's performance abilities, given low rates of deployment. While there are significant gains to be made in data interchange from XML's open design, the trade-off may be speed on the client. There is an open question as to how much efficiency we really traded off.
Security also is of concern.
On the bright side for network managers, Narain points to the support for XML in WBEM and how that will lay the groundwork for sharing device information among management tools. For example, any record set that can be posted as an XML file would then become available to reporting and management products that support XML, including those from Network Associates. Texas-based Tivoli is going to support XML in its wares. The advantages of adding XML support to directories similarly benefits enterprise users. It gives directories much needed interoperability.