We get continuous inbound searches on the following: “As2 vs. FTP”, is “FTP better than AS2”, is “API better for EDI than FTP or As2”. So, rather than write a long diatribe or make everyone read the existing articles in our blog archive, I will answer here:
- If you are a corporate EDI department developer or system person, and you use a VAN mailbox, FTP, SFTP, or As2 is fine – you can get mileage out of an API based customization, but the benefits really accrue as ‘refinements’ rather than as absolutely required functions. Of course, if you have the chops to use our no-too difficult SOAP API, you might never want to go back to vanilla file transfer, as we exceed the capabilities of plain-Jane FTP and AS2 by miles. But, as a guardian behind the corporate firewall, no, there is no extraordinary need to go API, unless there is a requirement to assert VAN-like authority and functionality over your trading partner EDI communications and operations. We would love to have you.
- 2) Consultants and EDI specialty providers that both develop and operate their client’s systems. Yes, you are a prime candidate to use the ECGridOS API for real, customized to your needs network functions. Mailboxes, sessions, reports, interconnects, more…..its all for you, and we made ECGridOS for you. We are talking about EDI specialists with 10-50+ customers, running their own operations, with a common, perhaps multi-tenant back end. You will love the power that ECGridOS gives you.
- Major, capital, SAAS B2B multitenant on-demand supply chain ventures: ECGridOS is the only way to go, the best way to manage a rational, hierarchical user population divided amongst hundreds of companies, thousands of mailboxes, and tens of thousands of EDI QID’s and GLN’s. If you are one of these major freaking’ Service Providers with a Capital SP, then are you waiting for, an invitation? For such major B2B operations, using one or more VAN mailboxes is simply not an optimal solution for your operations – and we can prove it. ECGridOS will drastically lower not just your data transfer costs, but will reduce network operations support incidents by a factor of at least 10X – you may want to know why, and we are glad to explain -just call us! Put us to the test.
That’s it in a nutshell: We offer an API for EDI communications and network management services, used for delivering comprehensive better than VAN service levels. If your B2B venture lives and dies by the quality and reliability of your EDI backbone operations, we provide that extra network control and authority that allows the creation of new features, builds in enhanced reliability, and empowers you to integrate self-service EDI features for your end users. And that’s what it’s all about, end user control.
