Software supplier Accpac has released a product that uses IBM's
managed services to give smaller enterprises the ability to
interact with top-tier business partners by allowing them to join
EDI-based supply chains, writes Antony Adshead.
The software maps business documents to the appropriate EDI
(Electronic Data Interchange) formats and ensures compliance with
business partners' transaction requirements, as well as routing EDI
communications through IBM's Business Exchange Services.
Accpac provides encryption for messages and non-repudiation
services to validate documents' origins.
While business-to-business data standard XML dominates the
headlines of the computer press, EDI - the standard many believe it
will replace - is still growing in use. EDI originated in the 1980s
as a means for large businesses to communicate multi-line ordering
and accounting information between each others' back-end enterprise
resource planning systems.
Because EDI requires a substantial investment of time and expertise
to configure, smaller businesses in the supply chain have
historically been excluded from using it and have continued to rely
on fax and phone. With the ubiquity of the Internet among even
small businesses, a means of converting simple Web communications
to EDI formats may find a substantial market.
Simon Bragg, an analyst with ARC Consulting, said, "This type of
product is one of a number helping to bring the smaller player in
the supply chain on board and be able to use EDI.
"EDI is a still extremely popular - indeed, its use is growing -
because people have the skills and the infrastructure. The vision
of XML replacing EDI is simply not happening."
The Accpac product is the latest in a growing market which has seen
EDI reach out to smaller businesses. A number of suppliers offer
EDI-to-Web services on subscription, including EDS, GE Global
Exchange Services, Peregrine and Sterling Commerce.
GE Global Exchange Services recently boosted security on its
Internet EDI services with the addition of the Secure FTP and AS2
security protocols.