Internet EDI

Until the advent of the Internet, businesses had three choices for exchanging information with each other, telephone, fax and EDI - Electronic Data Interchange. Value-added Networks (VANs) were the primary means for companies to transmit EDI data to each other. EDI ultimately did not capture a large share of the market because VAN based EDI was proprietary, expensive and coercive. These private networks charged set up fees, minimum usage fees and per character charges. In order for companies to get their own trading partners to move to EDI through a VAN they had to threaten their partners with additional fees or loss of business.

The Internet and Internet EDI, a.k.a. EDIINT, however, provide an economical alternative to VANs. InsideAgent® provides a means for companies to engage in direct business-to-business e-commerce, bypassing middlemen, VANs and exchange marketplaces. There are no minimum usage fees or per character charges. The elimination of these fees allows companies to lower their transaction costs dramatically, sometimes eliminating monthly VAN bills of approximately $10,000 - $30,000, while improving response time with their trading partners.

To see how much your company can save you may want to try out 8760 Inc.'s InsideAgent Payback Calculator.