EDI over the Internet

["Philip J. Bird" <phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Mr Drummond

One of the subscribers to your working group who works for my company (John
Hitchins) has alerted me to your current work and plans and I have been most
interested to read the various comments.

Atlas Products International (API) specialises in software and services for
Electronic Commerce and more specifically EDI. Our flagship product, ATLAS
EDI connects to all the major VANs and also has an Internet connection. 

We are one of the few EDI software suppliers to offer this (along with
Premenos) and I believe we are the only UK company.

At present our transfer method is SMTP/MIME (and incorporates the newly
agreed EDI Content Types) but no security is included. As the working party
has already recognised, this is essential for the future of EDI over the
Internet and we are about to add this functionality. As such I would be very
interested
in participating in the suggested trials, and ensuring that our solution is
developed in an open manner.

I do however have a lot of sympathy with the opinions of David Darnell who
rightly pointed out that pioneers cannot wait for everyone to agree. With
this in mind I would be happy to start trials in some form (eg. PGP
encryption) rather than wait months (or years) for the perfect solution.

I look forward to receiving yours and the working parties thoughts.

Regards

Phil Bird

PS. You may also be interested in my article published in EDI WORLD in
October 95 relating to this particular subject.

PPS. Please don't hold the terribly smug photo against me
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* Philip Bird                 * Atlas Products International       *
* Technical Director          * Quay West                          *
* phil@apiltd.demon.co.uk     * Trafford Wharf Road                *
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*                             * Manchester   M17 1HH               *
*                             * Tel: +44 (0)161 872 2022           *
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