EXTOL Portal™

EXTOL delivers IP networking, superior services and support.

The EXTOL Portal is a unique software and service combination providing a costeffective method to exchange formatted electronic data over the Internet. Replace your traditional Value Added Network (VAN) and gain the benefits of IP networking: reduced costs, ease-of-use, and leveraging your existing connectivity (frame relay, PPP, ISDN, and more).

EXTOL’s recognized expertise and leadership in EC solutions for the mid-sized enterprise can help you effectively expand the reach and drastically reduce the costs of your EDI projects. EXTOL’s professional services team is ready to assist you with any portion of your EDI initiative.

Providing EDI connections to business partners or any existing VAN.

EXTOL Portal uses a standard, secure sockets (SSL) connection to connect your organization with business partners that employ a variety of communication methods on their end. This gives you more flexible access capabilities than ever before. Choose virtually any ISP to securely transport your EDI transactions to the Portal. Through its use of SSL, EXTOL Portal provides security, confidentiality, and integrity for your business transactions.

Message exchange with EDI-INT compliant systems.

AS1 and AS2 compliance (EDI-INT) is an increasingly common requirement, especially with large trading partners. In such cases, EXTOL Portal serves as an EDI-INT gateway that enables you to meet your partner requirements with comparatively little time and effort.

EXTOL’s gateway service does it for you, enabling you to conduct EDI and ecommerce without having to invest in complex or expensive technologies or to develop your own tracking and audit system for EDI transactions.

Implementing new features at significantly lower costs than VAN-based EDI.

EXTOL Portal offers you a cost-effective, viable migration path to Internet-based e-commerce, by enabling communications with traditional VANs and private networks as well as Internet-connected partners and exchanges. Through a simple IP-based connection, you also benefit from critically important services, such as:

Security and confidentiality protection
Tracking and reporting features that help you manage your EDI performance
Flexibility and ease of use with frame relay and Internet access.

How does EXTOL Portal deliver value to your company?

Decreases business processing costs and delivers transactions
Increases efficiency by consolidating transaction delivery through a single vendor with multiple modes of delivery
Free internal resources on important non-transaction delivery to work on other projects
Improves the security and reliability that is present on internal systems
Leverages existing IP infrastructure to reach all of an enterprise’s trading partners, regardless of their preferred connectivity
Painless implementation – EXTOL Portal supports a wide range of software, network, and protocol environments.

Key advantages provided by EXTOL

Multiple network connectivity options, including dedicated, dialup, frame relay, and many IPbased access methods
Free interconnections with over 20 major e-commerce networks worldwide at no extra cost
High capacity networks for rapid message delivery
Strong security, including HTTPS, IPSec, SSL, AS1, AS2, and others
Trusted third party services, nonrepudiation and message delivery confirmation
Technical implementation support and customization services
World-class customer service.

With a single IP connection, EXTOL Portal supports virtually any communications option, encryption, security, and EDI standard generated from any platform for enterprises of all sizes. By setting up one account, companies can connect to trading partners no matter which connectivity or security method they prefer. Some examples are as follows:

IP-Based Protocols:

FTP
HTTP
Telnet/S
SMTP
EDI-INT (AS1, AS2)
IP Over frame delay

Security Options:

SSL
IPSec
Digital Certificates
DES & Triple DES
Others

EXTOL Portal has established relationships with virtually every known traditional EDI VAN, further extending trading community reach. The following is a partial list of the interconnects:

GEIS/GXS
MCI
Descartes
IBM
Inovis
EDS Elite
Sterling Commerce
Kleinschmidt
ICCnet

The EXTOL Portal IP EDI Service operates 24x7, bridging gaps in time zones and geography between companies and their trading partners. Multiple processors evenly distribute EDI messages, guaranteeing the integrity and availability of our network, and the most efficient and timely delivery of messages.

EXTOL Portal’s platform is built using standards-based, open architecture. Upgrading to new technologies and standards is as easy as plugging them into our network. Not only do businesses benefit with immediate savings over traditional EDI expenditures, but by making the switch to the EXTOL Portal solution they can leverage IP technology for future business growth and adapt to evolving Internet-based standards.