Information and Content Exchange
Information and Content Exchange (ICE) is an XML-based protocol used for content syndication via the Internet. By using XML both sender and receiver have an agreed-upon language in which to communicate. Using a client–server architecture, ICE defines a syndicate/subscribe model that is comparable to the binary publish/subscribe protocol standards used in CORBA and DCOM. However, in ICE messages are delivered through XML, typically over an HTTP connection, rather than through a lower-level binary protocol.{{Cite news|last=Greening |first=Dan R. |title=Self-Service Syndication with ICE |work=Web Techniques |accessdate=2016-02-11 |date=November 1999 |url=http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/1999/11/greening/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817194757/http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/1999/11/greening/ |archivedate=August 17, 2000 }}
History
The first standard specifically for web syndication, ICE was proposed by Firefly Networks and Vignette in January 1998.{{Cite web|last=Clark |first=Tim |title=Software to help Net stores |work=News.com |accessdate=2014-09-07 |date=1998-01-29 |url=http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,18620,00.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990202222517/http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C18620%2C00.html |archivedate=February 2, 1999 }} The two companies ceded control over the specification to the ICE consortium, which consisted of an authoring group and an advisory council. The ICE Authoring Group included Microsoft,{{Cite news|last=Clark |first=Tim |title=Short Take: Microsoft joins ICE group |work=CNET News.com |accessdate=2015-12-22 |date=1998-02-06 |url=http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,18903,00.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203173006/http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C18903%2C00.html |archivedate=February 3, 1999 }} Adobe, Sun, CNET, National Semiconductor, Tribune Media Services, Ziff Davis and Reuters, amongst others,{{Cite news|last=Votsch |first=Victor |title=Vignette and Firefly propose the ICE protocol |work=XML.com |accessdate=2014-09-08 |date=1998-03-10 |url=http://www.xml.com/pub/a/ws/SeyboldReport/ip020701.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030302070646/http://www.xml.com/pub/a/ws/SeyboldReport/ip020701.html |archivedate=March 2, 2003 }} and was limited to thirteen companies. The ICE advisory council included nearly a hundred members.{{Cite news
| last = Werbach
| first = Kevin
| title = The Web Goes Into Syndication
| work = Release 1.0
| accessdate = 2014-09-09
| date = July 1999
| url = http://downloads.oreilly.com/radar/r1/07-99.pdf
}}
ICE was submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium standards body on October 26, 1998,
{{Cite conference
| publisher = W3C
| last = Webber
| first = Neil
|author2=Conlet O'Connell |author3=Bruce Hunt |author4=Rick Levine |author5=Laird Popkin |author6=Gord Larose
| title = The Information and Content Exchange (ICE) Format and Protocol
| accessdate = 2014-09-07
| date = 1998-10-26
| url = http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-ice-19981026
}} and showcased in a press event the day after.{{Cite web|last=Copeland |first=Lee |title=Authoring Group Launches ICE |work=Computer Reseller News |accessdate=2014-09-08 |date=1998-10-28 |url=http://www.crn.com/dailies/weekending103098/oct28dig06.asp |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19991002064752/http://www.crn.com/dailies/weekending103098/oct28dig06.asp |archivedate=October 2, 1999 }} The standard failed to benefit from the open-source implementation that W3C XML specifications often received.{{Cite web| last = Dumbill| first = Edd| title = XML in news syndication| work = XML.com| date = 2000-07-17| url = http://www.xml.com/pub/a/ws/2000/07/17/syndication/newsindustry.html}}
Version 1.1 of the protocol was published on July 1, 2000.{{Cite web|last=Brodsky |first=Jay |author2=Bruce Hunt |author3=Sami Khoury |author4=Laird Popkin |title=The Information and Content Exchange (ICE) Protocol Version 1.1 |work=Icestandard.org |accessdate=2014-09-09 |date=2000-07-01 |url=http://www.icestandard.org/Spec/SPEC-ICE1.1.htm |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906112646/http://www.icestandard.org/Spec/SPEC-ICE1.1.htm |archivedate=September 6, 2004 }} Version 2.0 featured improved web service support and was released on August 1, 2004.{{Cite web|last=Brodsky |first=Jay |author2=Marco Carrer |author3=Bruce Hunt |author4=Dianne Kennedy |author5=Daniel Koger |author6=Richard Martin |author7=Laird Popkin |author8=Adam Souzis |title=ICE Specification |accessdate=2014-09-09 |date=2004-08-01 |url=http://www.icestandard.org/specification/ |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905231224/http://www.icestandard.org/specification/ |archivedate=September 5, 2004 }} No further versions have appeared since.
Vignette had a demo version of an ICE-capable server named Site-to-Site in February 1998, aiming to show how the protocol could facilitate content exchange between websites.{{Cite news|last=Thomas |first=Owen |title=ICE may unstick content markets: Will a new media-exchange spec let content flow from site to site with ease? |work=Red Herring Online |date=1998-02-11 |url=http://www.redherring.com/insider/1998/0211/ice.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000305005526/http://www.redherring.com/insider/1998/0211/ice.html |archivedate=March 5, 2000 }} Site-to-site was initially scheduled for release in summer 1998; it was launched under the name Vignette Syndication Server on February 22, 1999.{{Cite news|title=Vignette Ships Vignette Syndication Server(TM) Helping Online Businesses Efficiently Broaden Customer Reach |work=PR Newswire |location=Austin, TX |accessdate=2014-09-09 |date=1999-02-22 |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Vignette+Ships+Vignette+Syndication+Server%28TM%29+Helping+Online...-a053919165 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909191231/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Vignette+Ships+Vignette+Syndication+Server%28TM%29+Helping+Online...-a053919165 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-09-09 }} Through Syndication Server, Vignette became the primary ICE vendor.{{Cite conference|publisher=Gartner Group |title=The XML Revolution for Commercial Publishing |accessdate=2014-09-08 |date=1999-10-26 |url=http://gartner3.gartnerweb.com/public/static/hotc/hc00083811.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010112080100/http://gartner3.gartnerweb.com/public/static/hotc/hc00083811.html |archivedate=January 12, 2001 }}
In June 1999, Vignette invested $14 million in the leading web syndicator iSyndicate to adopt Vignette StoryServer for further development of the iSyndicate website. As part of the deal iSydicate committed to making all of its content available in the ICE protocol.{{Cite web|title=Vignette Announces Investment in iSyndicate to Accelerate Growth of Online Content Syndication |accessdate=2015-12-06 |date=1999-06-15 |url=http://www.vignette.com/CDA/BookPRDetail/0,1423,S1-L1-98-407-872,00.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19991010014933/http://www.vignette.com/CDA/BookPRDetail/0%2C1423%2CS1-L1-98-407-872%2C00.html |archivedate=October 10, 1999 }} {{Cite web|last=Reilly |first=Richard Byrne |title=ISyndicate blames layoffs on expansion |work=Red Herring |accessdate=2015-12-06 |date=2001-02-14 |url=http://www.redherring.com/vc/2001/0214/vc-ltr-dealflow021401.html?id=userland |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020706133923/http://www.redherring.com/vc/2001/0214/vc-ltr-dealflow021401.html?id=userland |archivedate=July 6, 2002 }}
Comparable XML specifications include WDDX,{{Cite news|last=Itoi |first=Nikki Goth |title=Syndicating the Web: Businesses are hoping that the ICE protocol will reduce the Web's content-sharing hassles |work=Red Herring |date=February 1999 |url=http://redherring.com/mag/issue63/news-syndication.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013102610/http://redherring.com/mag/issue63/news-syndication.html |archivedate=October 13, 1999 }} NITF, XMLNews, NewsML, and PRISM, as well as CDF, RSS, Atom, and Open Content Syndication (OCS).{{Cite news| last = Cover| first = Robin| title = Information and Content Exchange (ICE) Protocol| work = Cover Pages| accessdate = 2015-11-15| date = 2003-12-01| url = http://xml.coverpages.org/ice.html}}
Implementations
[http://twice.sourceforge.net/ TwICE] is a Java implementation of ICE 2.0.
[http://rice.sourceforge.net/ Rice] is a Ruby implementation of ICE 1.1. Both TwICE and Rice are developed and maintained by Jim Menard.
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/icecubes ICEcubes] is the original Java reference implementation of ICE 1.1, although it has not been actively maintained since December, 2000.
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/ice.html Technology Report: Information and Content Exchange Protocol]
- [http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=170 Content Repository for Java technology API]
Category:Web syndication formats