AS2: Direct EDI and XML on the Internet

AS2 is an internationally agreed methodology for transacting secure and auditable business messages over the Internet. Freeway's EDI software is already FTP, AS2 and value added network (VAN) enabled, and can support ecommerce links to virtually any trading partner via any communications method.

Adding an AS2 link is the logical next step for companies with trading communities currently connected via electronic data interchange (EDI) or XML who wish to remove costs and increase performance, particularly when compared with current VAN-based solutions.

The facility to migrate a community without changing the existing message formats is extremely powerful and has already been adopted by some of the largest users of 'traditional' EDI.

What is an AS2 link?

The 'AS' in AS2 stands for Applicability Statement and uses well-known standards in a manner that facilitates secure and reliable EDI over the Internet. AS2 is a specification about how to transport data, not how to validate or process data. AS2 specifies the means to connect, deliver, validate and reply to (receipt) data in a secure and reliable way. The data is dispatched to the appropriate processor based upon its content-type. AS2 has no specification about how that dispatch or subsequent processing is accomplished.

The AS2 specification supports EDI or any other data transmitted over the Internet.

AS2 operates a system of encryption, compression and digital certification to allow a community to be created, and Freeway supplies EDI software to allow the control, set-up and on-going management of that community.

What are the Benefits of AS2?

As the technology is Peer-to-Peer (P2P) or 'push' technology, messages are instantly sent to a trading partner with an active internet connection, the security of the transaction is guarded through encryption. This represents a far faster delivery method compared with the 'store and forward' approach adopted by the EDI VAN's.

In addition, every message is automatically responded to using an MDN (Message Notification Disposition), providing the sender with an acknowledgment of message receipt as it happens. Messages not able to be delivered can be automatically queued for re-sending, or even potentially diverted to a fall-back delivery method.