Much important data is stored in some type of RDMBS, whether it is Microsoft� SQL Server� 2000, or some other third-party database. If the data is stored in disparate databases or if your application is on a different platform, it becomes difficult to interoperate between these environments. Until recently, this was one of the greatest impediments to creating applications that span platforms. Approximately five years ago, a new standard began to transform the development world: XML. Now, if your data is in an XML format, it can be read on any platform. With XML came other related technologies that expanded the developer's repertoire. However, most of your data was still stored in a relational database that all your current applications were using effectively. With the release of SQL Server 2000, exposing your data as XML becomes extremely easy. Now your current applications can continue to access the data with its data access API, like ADO, and you can expose your data as XML views for use on any platform that can access the Web and understand XML. Interoperability was one step closer. As time passed, SQLXML has continued to build on and expand its functionality by including XML Schema (XSD) support, updategrams, integrated Microsoft .NET support and much, much more.