How Big Oil Uses XML

It is interesting to note that integration of legacy systems and the new systems is a challenge to almost all industries including the pharmaceutical and financial services sector. The oil industry has approached it by suggesting standardization across the industry and getting all of the parties to play at the same table, oil companies will be able to spend less time on integration and more time on developing oil and gas.
The reality is, data has to be moved between multiple applications and multiple vendors, and because there is no standard, a good amount of money and effort is spent making custom linkages between those applications.
The big question still remains whether the savings will translate to consumers paying less for gas at the pump. This will likely confirm the theory that the oil industry is run like a cartel.........they are guilty of colluding with each other to set standards including prices.
http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Projects-Security/How-Big-Oil-Uses-XML/