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About the Foundation

Learn about the Commerce Operations Foundation's mission, vision, and commitment to open standards for AI-enabled commerce.

Our Mission

The Commerce Operations Foundation develops and maintains vendor-neutral open standards that enable intelligent, automated commerce at global scale. We’re building the technical infrastructure that allows AI agents, commerce platforms, and order management systems to work together seamlessly—creating a future where commerce is frictionless, intelligent, and universally accessible.

The Transformation We’re Enabling

Commerce is undergoing its most significant transformation since the advent of e-commerce. AI agents are becoming personal shopping assistants. Voice interfaces are enabling hands-free purchasing. Social platforms are turning conversations into transactions. Yet these innovations are held back by a fundamental problem: the lack of standardized communication protocols between AI and commerce systems.

Every integration today requires months of custom development. Every new AI platform needs bespoke connections to hundreds of commerce systems. This fragmentation:

  • Stifles Innovation: Startups can’t afford the integration costs
  • Creates Vendor Lock-in: Switching systems becomes prohibitively expensive
  • Limits AI Adoption: Commerce platforms can’t easily add AI capabilities
  • Increases Costs: Duplicate development efforts across the industry

We’re solving this through:

  • Universal Standards: One protocol that works everywhere
  • Open Governance: No single company controls the specifications
  • Technical Excellence: Standards built by industry experts
  • Rapid Adoption: Reference implementations and comprehensive tooling

Our Approach

Industry-Led, Vendor-Neutral

Our governance structure ensures no single company can dominate the standards. We bring together AI platforms, commerce systems, fulfillment providers, and technology leaders to create specifications that work for the entire ecosystem. Every stakeholder has a voice, but no one has a veto.

Built on Proven Foundations

We don’t reinvent the wheel. UOIS is built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), already adopted by leading AI platforms. We leverage existing standards where appropriate and focus our innovation on solving real commerce challenges.

Pragmatic and Production-Ready

Our standards are designed by practitioners who understand the realities of commerce operations. We prioritize:

  • Backward Compatibility: Existing systems can adopt incrementally
  • Performance at Scale: Built for enterprise-grade transaction volumes
  • Security First: Authentication, authorization, and audit trails built-in
  • Developer Experience: Clear documentation, reference implementations, and tooling

Current Focus: Universal Order Interchange Standard

UOIS is our first standard, addressing the critical need for AI-commerce integration. It’s already being adopted by:

  • AI Platforms: Enable commerce capabilities without custom integrations
  • Order Management Systems: Become AI-ready without replatforming
  • Commerce Platforms: Standardize connections across all systems
  • 3PLs and Fulfillment: Automate order processing with AI

With 15 core operations covering everything from order capture to returns processing, UOIS provides the complete toolkit for AI-enabled commerce operations.

The Impact We’re Creating

For the Industry

  • $Billions in Integration Savings: Eliminate redundant development efforts
  • Accelerated Innovation: Focus on features, not plumbing
  • Market Expansion: Enable new business models and channels
  • Ecosystem Growth: Create opportunities for specialized providers

For Businesses

  • Faster Time-to-Market: Deploy AI commerce in weeks, not months
  • Vendor Flexibility: Switch providers without re-integration
  • Cost Reduction: One integration instead of hundreds
  • Future-Proofing: Standards that evolve with technology

For Consumers

  • Seamless Experiences: Shop anywhere, anytime, through any interface
  • Intelligent Assistance: AI that truly understands commerce
  • Greater Choice: Access to more products and services
  • Trust and Security: Standards-based protection and transparency

Join the Revolution

The transformation of commerce requires collaboration at unprecedented scale. We’re building a community of innovators, technologists, and industry leaders committed to open standards and shared success.

Get Started Today:

Together, we’re not just building standards—we’re building the future of commerce.

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