EXTOL Portal

The Affordable Way to Control and Manage Your EDI Partner Connections

The EXTOL Portal is a unique software and service combination that provides a cost- effective method to exchange formatted electronic data over the Internet. EXTOL Portal facilitates migration to full Internet-based e-commerce, by enabling communications with traditional VANs and private networks as well as Internet-connected partners and exchanges. Through a single IP-based connection, EXTOL Portal users benefit from critically important services, such as:

• Centralized, pull-based access to transactions and responses from multiple partners
• One interconnection to multiple partner-preferred transport protocols and VANs
• Security and confidentiality protection
• Tracking and reporting features that help you manage your EDI communications
  
  

How does EXTOL Portal deliver value to your company?

• Efficiently delivers transactions through a single connection, decreasing per-document processing costs
• Externally managed solution frees internal resources to work on other projects
• Reduces risk by ensuring the security and reliability of external communications
• Increases customer satisfaction and your partner rating by connecting with trading partners using their preferred connectivity methods
• Redundant infrastructure increases network integrity and availability, and improves the efficiency and timely delivery of messages
• Operates 24x7, bridging gaps in time zones and geography between you and your trading partners
  
  

EXTOL Portal Advantages

• Multiple network connectivity options, including dedicated lines, dialup, frame relay, and IP-based access methods
• Interconnections with over 20 major e-commerce networks worldwide, at no extra cost
• High capacity network infrastructure, for rapid message delivery
• Web-based tracking and management of your communications, in near-real-time
• Multiple secure transmission options, including HTTPS, IPSec, SSL, AS2, SFTP, FTP/S and others
• World-class implementation and support services

EXTOL Portal is implemented as a hosted service, to which your business connects, using a single Internet connection. The connection is implemented by a locally installed secure client or AS2 software, which is supplied by EXTOL.

Your EDI application communicates with the EXTOL Portal service, which, in turn, connects with each of your trading partners, using whatever communication transport(s) or service(s) they prefer. The EXTOL Portal service keeps track of your communications with trading partners, and maintains a mailbox containing the documents you send and receive.

EXTOL Portal provides a browser-based user interface, which you can use to track activities and manage document traffic in both directions.

Single account, multiple options

With a single IP connection, EXTOL Portal supports virtually any communications method, encryption or security option, and EDI standard, from any platform, for enterprises of all sizes. As a result, EXTOL Portal gives you the ability to connect to trading partners no matter which connectivity or security methods they require. Supported options include: 

IP Based Protocols		Security Options
FTP		SSL
HTTP		IPSec
Telnet/S		Digital Certificates
SMTP		DES & Triple DES
AS2 (EDI-INT)
VPN
FTP/s explicit SSL
SFTP

Established relationships with all your trading partner VANs

EXTOL Portal has established relationships with virtually every major EDI VAN, further extending trading community reach. With Portal, you can connect to any of these VANs without having to worry about interconnect fees. The following is a partial list of supported interconnects:

• GEIS/GXS
• nuBridges
• Descartes
• IBM
• Inovis
• EDS Elite
• Sterling Commerce
• Kleinschmidt
• ICCnet (Easylink)
  
  

Upgrade to New Technologies with Ease

EXTOL Portal’s platform is built using a standards-based, open architecture. Upgrading to new technologies and standards is as easy as plugging them into our back-end network. So not only does your business benefit from immediate savings over traditional EDI VANs, but by making the switch to the EXTOL Portal solution, you can position your business to more easily exploit new business opportunities, without concern for evolving Internet-based standards.

EXTOL Customer Support handles all aspects of Portal set up, including software installation, communication scripting, testing and customer migration. All you need to provide is a list of your trading partners and an authorization letter, and EXTOL does the rest.

Web-based Document Tracking and Activity Management

EXTOL Portal includes a web-based document tracking and activity management console, for easy tracking, analysis, and management of communications with trading partners, in near-real-time.

Integration with EXTOL Products

Communication with EXTOL Portal is implemented using a standard AS2 or secure client connection. EXTOL offers two products that can integrate with EXTOL Portal using either the AS2 or secure client connection:

• EXTOL EDI Integrator for i, a native EDI integration application for IBM System i
• EXTOL EDI Integrator, an optional EDI integration application for the EXTOL Business Integrator integration platform

EXTOL supplies your choice of secure client or AS2 connection software (implemented using a limited-license installation of EXTOL Secure Exchange, a certified interoperable solution for secure Internet communications) when you license EXTOL Portal. Regardless of your chosen connection option, EXTOL will provide setup services.

System Requirements to use EXTOL Portal

Connection to the EXTOL Portal service is supported on the following platforms:

• IBM System i / i OS
• Microsoft Windows (Server 2008, 2003, 2000, Vista, XP)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux v4 or later
• SUSE Enterprise Linux v9 or later

EXTOL Portal is supported by the following EXTOL products and release levels:

• EXTOL Business Integrator version 2.2 or higher
• EXTOL EDI Integrator for i version 6.1 or higher