Subject: RE: ASN.1 vs XML (used to be RE: I-D ACTION:draft-ietf-pkix-scvp- 00.txt)

From: Andrew Probert <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 11:05:37 +1000

Get real guys.

There's millions of deployed certificate-using clients in Microsoft
(CryptoAPI), Netscape (PKCS#11), Lotus (PKCS#11), not to mention Java
implementations and hardware vendor implementations like CISCO, that have
built-in decoders for certificates 

These mega-mass market products are on 2 year lead-times, so next year's
products are already half constructed now.  Not to mention Win2000 that is
imminent.

They work, they are out there.

Not to mention the CAs who have got sizeable investment in certificate
issuing systems that already work and deployed and vendors that have
investment in CSPs and PKCS#11 drivers for smartcards.  We Rotek/SNS are in
these categories and we certainly do not want to rebuild, we are busy
deploying!

There are video player manufacturers, CD-ROM manufacturers who have voted
for the 'best' standard and still been left behind by the market.  I am not
going to argue the benefits of XML versus ASN.1, but suggest that the market
and major players have voted with their feet a few years ago.

Andew Probert
Rotek Consulting   http://www.rotek.com.au
a Division of Secure Network Solutions
Tel  +61 3 9690 8877
Fax +61 3 9690 8171

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From: Timothy Fisher <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 1999 23:10:37 -0700

Andrew,

I don't think that anyone is suggesting that a commercial release of an XML
encoded product is realistic "today".  Your comments are valid, but that does
not mean that XML should be ignored.

Tim

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From: John Saylor <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Jul 1999 08:54:20 -0400

Hi

>>>>> "AP" == Andrew Probert <[email-masked]> writes:

 AP> There are video player manufacturers, CD-ROM manufacturers who
 AP> have voted for the 'best' standard and still been left behind by
 AP> the market.  I am not going to argue the benefits of XML versus
 AP> ASN.1, but suggest that the market and major players have voted
 AP> with their feet a few years ago.

When there's only one option, it's not much of a vote, is it?

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