The society of today is built around information, and the way we use this information is crucial. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a new way of defining information that is placed on the web, but it is also a way for exchanging information between companies, organizations, departments and applications. This is a technique for development of database driven information services as well as a platform for exchanging information between different systems. XML also provides new possibilities by offering a document structure, which enables the information to be separated from the design. This enhances the way documents are handled. This report explains the Markup language XML in a comprehensive way and its relations to SGML and HTML, and later on in the report XML will be tested practically. The purpose of this study was to clarify in what way XML can improve the way we handle information and by that enhance the quality of the information. I have defined six areas that define quality information, and then I have examined if XML could contribute to the fulfillment of these areas: Quality information is when the information: 1. is displayed in the right way. 2. is reusable. 3. is right, accurate and reliable. 4. is interpreted as intended. 5. is easy to search and when the ”right” information is returned. 6. can be used on several platforms and through several media formats (CD-rom, computers, Internet and so on). I also had two underlying purposes in this report, to clarify how cost-efficient XML is to a small-scale company and to analyze the future for XML. To get an overall knowledge in this subject I have gathered information. Later on I tested if XML met the expectations that had emerged, and I did this test on two well-known platforms. The two platforms chosen were Microsoft and Oracle. The result that I have gathered during this report inflict that XML gives good possibilities when it comes to create information that can make information that responds to my above mentions points. XML will not solve all problems that reside in the field of information handling of today, but XML is a tool used in the aim to make order of the information. To display the information in the way the creator intended, XML can be used with style sheets to add the desired layout. The possibility to divide the information into components and to be structured gives us reusability. If a DTD is used and the creator follows the standards, the quality of the information is secured. By structuring the information with descriptive tags, the information becomes easy to interpret by human as well as machine. It also makes it easier searching the information and gathering the ”right” information. The fact that an XML file can be used on several platforms and medias is made possible though XML is platform and media independent. The vision for the future seems good in my perspective. If the tools used with XML will get better, the benefits of using XML will be obvious and practicable through a simple and understandable development platform. The tools that are available on the market today are often troublesome and insufficient in what they have to offer. The software suppliers will do their very best to be able to offer the users the tools that are needed, in order to take advantage of the possibilities that are posted in the different specifications. While we wait for the suppliers to succeed, we have to write our own programs and scriplets to reduce the gap that is a fact today. XML is today best suited for use on the server in means to transform XML to HTML, before it is sent to the client. The reason for this is that different web browsers don’t support XML equally, and as a designer you can never be sure how the result of a page will be displayed. XML is all about information and has nothing to do with design. If designers want to add design to a document, he needs to use a different language for this. XML works today and the problems exist in the complementing standards, like different languages for design. Keeping in mind what XML can accomplish with the different complementing standards, XML and these standards seems to be a necessity in a couple of years when these standards have been further developed and more secure to use. Whether to use XML instead of HTML depends on the situation. It can be more efficient to use HTML when creating a simple and small document when it only demands a simple design. HTML is universally used and well known to most people, but HTML is not suited for advanced use of information like XML is. The question whether how cost-efficient an adjustment to XML can be, is depending on what benefits XML can bring that will not be available when using for example a HTML based system – which is a much more tested standard. Whether to use XML or HTML is depending on the situation. In conclusion XML is in the stage of development. It is important to realize that if a company adjusts their business to XML, they must be prepared for some problems since this technique is new and poorly tested. Many of the standards that belong to XML are under development and are altered on a frequent basis. Despite this it is important to take part of this development since it is going to affect the information society of today.