ecConnect is a reliable, lightweight and secure communications client used for the electronic transfer of trading documents between InterTrade customers internal systems and TradeLinks.
Simple to use
ecConnect operates in a fully automated mode. It is based on a standard mailbox concept. ecConnect detects if a file is dropped in the outbox directory and initiates a secure communication session with TradeLinks to upload the file for processing and delivery. In a similar fashion, ecConnect communicates periodically with TradeLinks to verify if incoming files have been received and processed, and downloads inbound documents into the inbox directory.
ecConnect supports any type of file format including ASCII text files, documents based on EDI X.12, EDIFACT or XML standards, files from major ERP or WMS applications such as SAP, Oracle, JDA, Catalyst or Manhattan. It can even work with binary files.
Secure
The ecConnect / TradeLinks platform provides a comprehensive security package that includes Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology and X.509 certificates based authentication protocols. In addition, it incorporates a transaction delivery security layer with InterTrade SOAP web-based architecture, guaranteeing:
Validation – transactions have not been altered
Confidentiality – transaction content remains encrypted while traveling
between applications and over networks
Authentication – transactions can only be sent by valid authenticated users
and systems
Non-repudiation – transaction delivery can be monitored and tracked.
Since ecConnect initiates all data communications and uses the standard https protocol, it can be safely installed within the corporation’s firewall and, unlike AS2 communications it does not require to open ports to receive inbound traffic.
Flexible
ecConnect is a Java application that can run on any current operations systems such as Microsoft Windows Server 2003, XP (Home / Pro) or 2000, Linux, Solaris or Mac OS X. ecConnect adds very little load, so it does not require a dedicated server.
Many ecConnect parameters can be configured to adapt to specific requirements of each organization. Push and pull intervals, mailbox locations, purge retention period are examples of such parameters. InterTrade customers also have the choice of managing their different divisions using one single ecConnect or multiple ones. For example, both test and production environments can be managed using the same ecConnect or using two separate instances.
Robust and Reliable
ecConnect provides with legendary robustness and reliability, which is a very strong advantage for the management of business critical B2B transactions. The combination of ecConnect and TradeLinks ensures that this reliability level extends to the complete transaction cycle between you and your trading partner.
Real-time Dashboard
ecConnect provides InterTrade customers with a real-time dashboard displaying in a Web browser a summary of their latest communications with TradeLinks. They can use it to drill down to document details, pause or restart communications and initiate automated diagnostics when required.
Custom Processing (Plugins)
The ecConnect open architecture allows for extending its data processing capabilities with custom designed Java programs defined as Plugins. Plugins provide InterTrade customers with additional pre-processing or post-processing functions that can be activated before file delivery or after file receipt. It can be used for tasks such as converting specific data like product codes before integrating an inbound purchase order into your backend ERP applications or for automatically printing a copy of some incoming files.