EXTOL Secure™ Certified by Drummond Group, Inc. (DGI)
For AS2 Interoperability
Dubbed One of the “Big-Three” Providers of EDI-AS2 Translation Tools, EXTOL Receives DGI Certification for Fifth Year
POTTSVILLE, Pennsylvania, December 14, 2007 – EXTOL International announced today that EXTOL Secure™ has been certified for AS2 interoperability for the fifth consecutive year. EXTOL is included on the just released list of 26 newly certified AS2 products which have completed the Drummond Certified ™ AS2-3Q07 Interoperability test. Drummond Group, Inc. (DGI) is the global leader in B2B software verification. EXTOL, one of the “Big-Three” providers of EDI-AS2 translation tools according to IT Jungle, is a leading provider of B2B integration software applications for both internal and external collaboration.
The new AS2 reliability profile was tested in this certification process. Receiving duplicate invoices or duplicate purchase orders can wreak serious havoc with business operations. AS2 Reliability allows easy, upfront identification of duplicate messages such as invoices and purchase orders. This optional test is the first step in ensuring that the retry and resend operations do not result in the same payloads being submitted more than once, thus ensuring the delivery of business data. Companies looking to purchase AS2 software now have the choice of selecting AS2 products that have certified the Reliability Profile.
EXTOL Secure™ is used by manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers in multiple industries including apparel, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, logistics, printing and automotive. “EXTOL Secure has given our customers the ability to take advantage of the Internet to avoid the costs, constraints and challenges of dealing with individual VANs for customer connectivity,” stated Jim O’Leary, EXTOL Vice President, Product Management.
“With EXTOL Secure, companies can grow their EDI partner base without concerns for internal resources,” said O’Leary. “One of our customers, a national leader in transportation and distribution, recently reported a reduction in costs from a VAN-based, individual connection of nearly $1,000 per month, to practically zero with EXTOL Secure. In the years ahead we see AS2, and EXTOL Secure as a major component of every customer B2B initiative.”
"The continued growth of AS2 and the industries that it serves is a testament to the Drummond Certified® Program and the value of certifying the interoperability of a community of production-ready commercial off the shelf (COTS) products or services,” said Rik Drummond, CEO, Drummond Group Inc. "Deciding on which messaging standard to choose can be a daunting task, but reviewing the attributes of Drummond Certified AS2 products with safe, reliable, agnostic and secure messaging may make that decision easier. The evolution and adoption has been made possible by early adopting industries and their respective profiles. AS2 continues to be the ’workhorse’ of most Fortune 500 Internet message exchange today."
The Drummond Certified® Program has developed Optional Profiles to address the needs of various industries which have specific business requirements they want certified in AS2 functionality. Although initiated by one industry, these profiles have cross-industry applications and are being adopted by other industry groups. A software buyer can review the AS2 product listings on the Drummond Group website to see which product has been certified for which profile. The list of Initiating Industries includes Retail and Consumer Product Goods, Financial Services and Petroleum.
Specific AS2-3Q07 certification results, certified industry profiles, final report and registration information for upcoming tests are available at www.drummondgroup.com/html-v2/as2-companies.html
About EXTOL International, Inc.
EXTOL International, Inc. is a leading provider of B2B integration application software for resource constrained companies who want to integrate demand driven supply chains. EXTOL solutions are ready-to-use applications that target multiple B2B and internal challenges with a common integration platform that empowers existing IT teams to respond rapidly to new business opportunities and demands. EXTOL solutions are also available preconfigured to address specific electronic commerce applications including EDI, AS2, XML, data synchronization (1SYNC) and the integration and management capabilities required to take full advantage of supply chain functionality. For more information, please visit www.EXTOL.com.
About Drummond Group Inc.
Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), a global leader in B2B software testing and certification, works with software vendors, industry associations, supply chains and the standards community by conducting interoperability and conformance testing on open standards, publishing related strategic research and developing vertical industry strategies. Founded in 1999, DGI has tested hundreds of international software products used in vertical industries such as automotive, consumer product goods, financial services, government, petroleum, pharmaceutical and retail. For more information, please visit www.drummondgroup.com or email: info@drummondgroup.com.
