INSTANT Business-to-Business e-Commerce

The Problem

The rules have changed. The fundamental business model is being rewritten. Business-to-business interactions must now operate at 'Net Speed'.

The Internet provides universal connectivity for computers worldwide and XML is emerging as a universal format for defining the structure and content of business documents.

However, a fundamental facility is missing. There is no universal facility enabling business processes on different computers, operated by different companies, to interchange and process data instantly.

The traditional 3^rd party EDI mailbox approach to business-to-business communications introduces an unacceptable time delay. These services are also expensive and difficult to integrate with existing applications.

An alternative to 3^rd party mailboxing has been for a company to set up its own communications, normally dial up, requiring its trading partners to adhere to whatever communications standards the company has adopted. This approach is expensive to create, expensive to maintain and it is so restrictive to potential trading partners that many may not have the resources to comply.

More recently, companies are implementing systems using the standard Internet protocols (FTP, SMTP, & HTTP). These protocols were not developed for mission critical business-to-business data interchange and they introduce problems in security, reliability, data management and application integration. It's not enough to deliver data quickly. The delivery facility must also provide security, instant delivery confirmation, and a means for seamless application integration.

The Solution: Instant Data Interchange (Eforward™) over the Internet

Instant Data Interchange (Eforward™) takes EDI/XML and other Intnernet messages to the next level in business-to-business e-commerce. Using the Internet and Eforward protocol provides the means for universal interconnectivity between computers. Eforward™ utilizes the underlying Internet technologies to implement an instant data interchange capability between computers. Corvedia, Inc. has implemented Secure Easy IM™ using the Eforward protocol communications facility that provides reliable and secure interchange of data instantly over the Internet and other TCP/IP based networks. Secure Easy IM™ eliminates the dwell time and expense associated with traditional mailboxing. Business-to-business data can be instantly sent from one trading partner to the other using Secure Easy IM™.

Corvedia, Inc. Implements Instant Business-to-Business e-Commerce with Secure Easy IM™

Secure Easy IM™ extends the instant data interchange capabilities of Secure Easy IM™ to provide an easy to implement framework for business-to business e-commerce.. Using Secure Easy IM™, Trading Partners can:

• Instantly interchange data including standard EDI messages and XML defined documents.

• Instantly confirm data delivery.
• Seamlessly integrate the delivery service with existing applications.
• Easily establish and manage trading partner relationships with partners using a Web browser.
• Maintain an audit trail of all interchanges.
• Utilize existing Internet connections thereby reducing the cost of using 3^rd party VAN's for exchanging data.

Secure Easy IM™ is a service provided by Corvedia enabling Trade Partners using the Secure Easy IM Client to instantly exchange data over the Internet. Secure Easy IM™ also provides trading partner administration services, intermediate processing services and message logging, message delivery confirmation and reporting services. Access to the Secure Easy IM™ administrative services is via a Web Browser. The Secure Easy IM™ Server Software is also available on a licensed basis for operation on a Company's own host computer. This enables the Enterprise to implement its own trade partner community.

Secure Easy IM Client operates as a thin client on the sender's/receiver's host computers. It is available in both a command line and windowed versions. The Secure Easy IM Clients exchange data via the Internet through the Secure Easy IM™ Server. Secure Easy IM™ provides instant mailbox services instantly forwarding messages between Secure Easy IM Clients.

Getting started is easy. Using your Web Browser, fill out the on-line Secure Easy IM™ registration form, download the Secure Easy IM Client, complete the on-line Trading Partner Administration form and start interchanging data with your trading partners. Furthermore, the Secure Easy IM Client provides the ability to seamlessly integrate local applications upon receipt of data. A sending Secure Easy IM Client may request an immediate response from a receiving Secure Easy IM Client. This feature enables local applications to conduct arms length interactive sessions with remote applications.

The Secure Easy IM Client and Secure Easy IM^SM Server are inherently more secure and reliable than the traditional Internet transfer protocols (FTP, SMTP, HTTP) Additional security can be provided by encrypting messages before sending. Future releases will directly support Public Key Encryption.

Both the Secure Easy IM Client and Secure Easy IM ^SM are written in pure Java and will run on any computer supporting Java including WINDOWS 95/98/NT machines, OS/2, IBM Mainframes, AS/400's and most implementations of UNIX.

For more information contact:
Conrad Persels
Tel: (301) 528-6620
Fax: (301) 515-0415
Corvedia , Inc.
20010 Century Blvd., Suite 105sales@corvedia.com
Germantown, MD 20850 WEB: www.corvedia.com