Microsoft has announced that it has joined the Object Management Group (OMG), an international, not-for-profit computer industry consortium since 1989. OMG's modeling standards include the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Business Process Management Notation (BPMN). In addition to joining the organization, Microsoft will take an active role in numerous OMG working groups. For example, Microsoft is already working with the finance working group on information models for insurance business functions related to the property and casualty industry, and will eventually look to expand those models so that they can be applied to P&C, life and reinsurance. Another early focus will be on developing specifications for converting messages across the various payments messaging standards.
"Microsoft has always been one of the driving forces in the development industry, helping to make innovation possible but also simplifying many of the most challenging aspects of the application development process," said Dr. Richard Mark Soley, CEO at OMG. "In less than 10 years, OMG's UML, a cornerstone of the Model Driven Architecture initiative, has been adopted by the majority of development organizations, making OMG the seminal modeling organization and supporting a broad array of vertical market standards efforts in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government and other areas. Microsoft's broad expertise and impact will make its membership in OMG beneficial to everyone involved."
