June 1997 Briefly Noted...

ECXpert addresses the needs of traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) programs as well as providing a foundation for emerging EDI on the Internet.

By providing integration to legacy applications and databases, ECXpert enables organizations to leverage and extend their existing software investment.

ECXpert can map between most data object types, including traditional EDI standards and proprietary data formats. It also enables companies to pass data from an existing EDI system directly into ECXpert for transmission to the trading partner, allowing companies to use investments in current EDI mapping programs.

ITAA, a national IT trade association, has developed an overall framework for dealing with the major Internet and electronic commerce policy and business practices issues. ITAA's membership provides the IT industry with information on:

• security and encryption,
• digital signatures and authentication,
• privacy,
• copyright and intellectual property,
• regulation of content,
• taxation,
• commercial law and banking,
• harmonized and consistent international legal framework

The card is a 5-volt, 32-bit, 33 MHz, short PCI bus card which converts a raw data stream into an encrypted data stream and vice versa. Operating at speeds of up to 117 mbits/sec., the card allows real-time encryption of hard disk drive data. Additionally, as with network protection, the Triple DES encryption drastically reduces the possibility of decryption by foreign parties, protecting information stored on disks and PC hard drives.

The agreement calls for Digital to use Foresight's software tools for both client and internal Digital projects. Digital will also use Foresight software for major client electronic commerce hub and trading partner (spoke) implementations featuring Foresight products.

The agreement will also allow Digital to provide Foresight's new Web EDI product, TradeSite to its customers. TradeSite allows even the smallest trading partners to be implemented without requiring separate EDI translation software or using external value-added network services.

OrderPoint provides a framework to which organizations need only input their inventory and images. This will enable business and channel partners to order everything they need online, 24 hours a day.

It also allows sales representatives to place orders from customers' premises and check the status of these orders after placing them. Shipping and payment information are incorporated in the application.

VeriSign's Digital IDs now include the NetSure Protection Plan for consumers and web sites, support for secure e-mail, universal web site log-in and one-step registration.

Digital IDs provide a trusted means of authenticating the identity of each party in an electronic transaction. VeriSign's Digital IDs are used similar to conventional forms of identification in order to provide irrefutable evidence of the owner's identity.