It’s not news that every change to a complex transaction like an EDI document needs to be tested in order to make certain the information that’s intended to move from point A to point B gets there intact. Some of these transactions are large and complex, and coupled with the fact that every version of every document is different, there are bound to be times when characters or even entire segments don’t match up with what’s defined in the specs. Read more...

EDI pricing is one of those things that's hard to pin down. ec-bp.com has supported the lowering of costs of EDI since its first issue 10 years ago. We recently posted a story about how GXS intends to stop the practice it calls daisy-chaining, a move that would lower the number of options available to trading partners and likely increase overall costs of using EDI. In another counter-productive move, it seems that the costs of the guidelines for the 6050 specifications will increase in price and require annual 'maintenance fees.' Individually these changes may not seem like a big deal, but are they a trend? And will they have any long term effect on the marketplace? Will the price increases lead for a move away from a pricey X12 to a free and more internationally supported EDIFACT? Read more...