Integrating STEP and CORBA for applications interoperability in the future virtual enterprises computer-based infrastructures

Nowadays complex product developments involving numerous actors make more crucial the elaboration of an infrastructure for the "Virtual Enterprise" (VE). New emerging technology such as STEP for representation and exchange of product data, or CORBA in the object oriented distribution field, are designated to be potential cornerstones in the deployment of concurrent engineering in the future VE. The paper aims at investigating the integration of STEP and CORBA as a ground for VE computer based infrastructure (M. Hardwick et al., 1996), and at showing their complementarity for application interoperability. This integration relies on a middleware supported by an Object Request Broker as introduced in CORBA, for STEP product data distribution and concurrent access in the framework of remote heterogeneous applications.