A brief history

 

In the not so distant past, Automotive Manufacturers and Retail companies, including Wal-Mart, utilized Value Added Networks (VANs) as their B2B gateway providers for communication with suppliers. They also relied heavily on dedicated phone lines, and other proprietary networks. As the move to secure Internet communications began and continues today, B2B gateway providers now offer many options for secure file transfer relying mainly on Internet based protocols including: AS2, AS3, ebMS, SMTP, HTTP, HTTP/S, FTP, FTP/S, OFTP, FTP with PGP, SSH FTP and MQ Series®.

 

What is a B2B gateway?

 

Business-to-Business (B2B) Gateways and B2B gateway software provide businesses an e-commerce platform for integrating with key suppliers and customers quickly and easily. B2B gateway providers integrate data from back-end systems enabling information exchange across trading partners. B2B gateway providers are a centralized point for transformation of multiple data sources through interoperability standards such as XML (Extensible Markup Language), cXML (Commerce XML) and EDI (electronic data interchange). B2B gateway providers help to bridge the collaboration gap across the supply chain and transform the data flow between companies from a batch oriented manner into a real time process.

 

What is a B2B gateway used for?

 

Secure file transfer over the Internet via B2B gateway providers is a growing practice among companies that handle electronic data interchange (EDI), insurance claims, retail reports, CAD files, and more. Using B2B gateway providers or B2B gateway software for secure file transfer allows businesses to utilize higher speed communications while reducing the high costs of traditional networks and leased-line telecommunications. Also, using B2B gateway software for secure file transfer can help companies extend past the limitations of traditional networks by allowing them to enter new markets and expand their operations worldwide.

Today, industries are converting to secure Internet based connections with B2B gateway software. Using the Internet, businesses can utilize higher speed communications while reducing the costs and inefficiencies of VANs and dedicated leased-line communications.

 

VLTrader: Strong and Secure B2B Gateway

 

VLTrader is a powerful, yet easy-to-manage secure B2B gateway. VLTrader combines industry-leading communications technology with powerful trading partner management tools and flexible integration options. High availability and reliability ensure 100% uptime. VLTrader will allow you to efficiently create a B2B gateway with hundreds of trading partners and customers.