RosettaNet, a consortium that develops E-business standards, on Monday will announce the launch of RosettaNet Asia Engineering Center in Penang, Malaysia. The center extends the consortium's standards development in Asia and continues the group's investments in the region. The consortium works with local firms, multinational companies, and government agencies.

The opening ceremony will be hosted by chief minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, and Dato Kalsom Abdul Rahman, chair of the RosettaNet Malaysia Steering Council and deputy secretary general of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Also attending the launch are sponsor companies Intel, Microsoft, Priority Cargo, and Sony.

RosettaNet has received broad industry and government support in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan. In establishing the new RosettaNet Engineering Center in Penang, the group said it shows a commitment to helping Asia build E-business standards for supply chains.

The Engineering Center will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is expected to play a critical role in the ongoing development of RosettaNet technology in Asia. The center will focus on standards engineering and implementation support throughout the region. RosettaNet develops standards, or Partner Interface Processes, for system-to-system XML-based communications that define business processes between trading partners. Six to eight engineers and a managing director will initially support the center, and more may be added as needed.