Web-based EDI

[rsedc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (David Chia)]

It is interesting to note the press release from Harbinger
regarding their coming web-based EDI service. The service
is similar to what I have described previously, i.e.
easy to use browser front-end to web based EDI service which
is on top of and complement to the traditional email based EDI service.

They also foresee the expanded market base with additional
small and medium sized enterprises that do not want to acquire
their own inhouse EDI resources nor running their own web servers,
and the expanded roles for VANs to look after these newcomers.

No doubt other EDI software vendors and VANs will also come to
the party. It must be frustrating for them to see this academic
babbling away their R&D secrets before they are ready, trying to
influence this group to move to this direction as well.

The utilization rate for these web-base EDI servers can
be high and some ISPs might even run EDI web-servers as well.
The next phase should see large cost reduction and increase
EDI usage.

(I have no association with Harbinger Corp.)

David Chia,
RMIT University