With Information Exchange, you can send and receive virtually any information in electronic form, from standard format electronic data interchange (EDI) transactions to free-format documents such as memos, letters, and order status inquiries. That means you can use Information Exchange for a wide variety of applications-from consolidating overnight sales data to implementing an integrated EDI program-using a single service and a single connection to GXS. Using Information Exchange, you can:

• Implement an EDI program with large and small trading partners who have different kinds of computer systems, including your MQSeries, X.400, and Internet trading partners.
• Help control your communications costs and capital expenditures.
• Exchange spreadsheets, documents, files, and e-mail.
• Use value-added features such as administration services accessed via the Web or online, distribution lists, archiving, event-driven EDI, acknowledgments, and error recovery.

The store and retrieve approach of Information Exchange offers many advantages. It provides a sophisticated electronic mailbox that can help simplify communication between dissimilar systems. You can send and receive at your convenience, without worrying about timing and scheduling constraints. For example, EDI trading partners can time when to send transactions according to business requirements, without worrying about the other company's system schedules; international trading partners can more easily do business across multiple time zones.

In addition, a library facility is available that allows you to store and access that data over an extended period of time. With this facility, you can offer your trading partners access to product catalog entries, programs and program updates, newsletters, and other support information.

Because you need to use the network only when sending or receiving data-in relatively brief, individual sessions rather than interactively throughout the day-you can significantly reduce your communications costs. And because computers submit and retrieve information when they are prepared to process it, system resources do not need to be dedicated exclusively to the communications function.

A communications interface running on your computer establishes and manages communications sessions with Information Exchange. The interface software sends designated data files to Information Exchange, where they are stored until retrieved by the receiving party. In the same session, the interface program can retrieve information waiting in the mailbox at your Information Exchange electronic address and store it in designated files on your system, ready for processing.

The software interfaces provide ready-to-use solutions for EDI and electronic mail. They are designed to help you get started quickly on communicating electronically with your trading partners. You can send and receive free-format electronic mail messages, systems files, purchase orders, and invoices, as well as other transactions formatted according to EDI standards.

Message characteristics
One of the advantages of Information Exchange is the flexibility of the service: in particular, the size and kind of messages it can handle and the characteristics that you can assign to each message.

Size
Information Exchange can be used to send and receive virtually any size message, from a single, brief electronic mail memo to a data file of up to 280 megabytes.

Prioritization
You can assign one of three priority classes to each message. "Express" priority tells Information Exchange to deliver the message immediately if the recipient is online in a "receive as available" mode or, otherwise, to discard the message. "High" priority tells Information Exchange to deliver the message first when the recipient retrieves messages from the mailbox queue. Messages not designated as express or high priority are designated normal by default and are queued on an as-received basis in the recipient's mailbox.

Groups
You can combine messages into larger entities called "message groups," which can contain any number of messages of any size. A file of records to be printed as a single report is an example of a message group. Information Exchange treats a message group as a single entity.

Naming
You can name a message or message group to make it easier for the recipient to know what is waiting in the mailbox and how to handle the incoming data.

Class
You can also assign user classes to messages. Like labels, user classes are short message descriptions that identify what kind of data they contain or provide information on how they should be retrieved from Information Exchange, printed, or processed.

Retention period
Senders can specify the number of days (from a minimum of one to a maximum of 180) Information Exchange is to keep a message in the recipient's mailbox. If the message is not retrieved during the retention period, Information Exchange automatically discards it. If no interval is specified, Information Exchange automatically sets a default of 30 days.

supports EDI data standards by recognizing the interchange headers and trailers
that surround data sets. Information Exchange can read these headers and trailers, extract and read
the recipient's name and address information, and store the message in the appropriate mailbox.

In addition, two Information Exchange commands—Send EDI and Receive EDI—are designed to
support EDI trading partner communications. The commands allow multiple types of EDI data to be
sent or received with a single command. For example, Send EDI allows multiple EDI envelopes, with
different addresses, to be transmitted from a single file with a single command.

A number of widely accepted data standards in use today are supported by ,
including:

• ANSI ASC X12 and binary segments
• UN/EDIFACT
• UN/TDI
• UCS

In addition to the above supported standards, provides support for transmission of binary files to and from Information Exchange.

Information Exchange can be used for efficient and cost-effective e-mail between different locations within your company or between you and your trading partners.

E-mail with Information Exchange can be implemented quickly and easily as a stand-alone, PC-based e-mail solution. You can also combine computer-to-computer e-mail with EDI communications. Trading partners can exchange memos, letters, acknowledgments, and other free-format messages at the same time they send and retrieve EDI transaction files.

Information Exchange can handle virtually any kind of data, so you can use it to exchange free-format electronic mail messages as well as documents created on compatible word processing systems. The interface programs for GXS systems include easy-to-use electronic mail facilities that allow your users to create notes and messages, browse mail received, and send and receive files created with other system software.

Information Exchange offers a wide variety of ready-to-use communication interface software packages and gateways to help your business get up and running quickly and efficiently. The software packages that transmit both EDI and non-EDI data are installed on your system; while gateways are accessed through a network.

Expedite and Expedite Base licensed programs are designed to communicate with Information Exchange to process EDI standard data, non-EDI data, and system files. The programs take advantage of many features of Information Exchange, such as international reach, distribution support, alias tables, archive capability, audit capability, selective message receive, and a flexible message retention period. View a list of Expedite and Expedite Base Licensed Programs.

This interface connects your RJE workstation to Information Exchange. Using Expedite/Direct commands, you can send and receive data and define nicknames and lists for your trading partners. Expedite/Direct supports both EDI and non-EDI data. For sending and receiving EDI data, Expedite/Direct supports the following formats:

• ANSI ASC X12
• UCS
• UN/EDIFACT
• UN/TDI

If you specify that you want to receive all your messages in a single session, Expedite/Direct can send them to you as one data set.

This interface to Information Exchange enables you to send and receive EDI and non-EDI data, using a variety of asynchronous communications products already installed on your local computer. Expedite/Async supports the following asynchronous file transfer protocols:

• XMODEM
• 1KXMODEM
• YMODEM
• ZMODEM
• ANSI Clear

Information Exchange supports both ASYNC and ANSI Clear command sets for asynchronous communications. Using ASYNC and ANSI Clear make sending and receiving data simple.

The TCP/IP FTP gateway for the Internet enables Information Exchange to function like a file transfer protocol (FTP) server. You can use the TCP/IP FTP gateway not only through a managed network, such as the AT&T Global Network, or the Advanced Network eXchange (ANX), but over the Internet as well. If you are a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) user, you can send and receive EDI transactions using your existing communications method. In addition, you can benefit from a variety of features including retrieving audit trail information, retrieving archived data, using libraries, and listing the contents of your Information Exchange mailbox.

The TCP/IP FTP gateway for the Internet uses standard Internet security protocols for authentication, data confidentiality, and data integrity. Additionally, data files are always encrypted before they are transferred through the Internet.

The OFTP Information Exchange gateway (OFTP/IE) interface allows users who are connected to the European Information Exchange system to communicate with one another and with the rest of the Information Exchange community. ODETTE is a group of leading European motor manufacturers formed to define standards for the electronic exchange of data. Their file transfer protocol for EDI (OFTP/IE) is now also used in many other industries.

Interconnectivity and Interoperability with other services or value-added networks (VANs) are enhanced features of EDI Services and Information Exchange.

You may find that some of your trading partners are users of other VANs that are interconnected with . Using EDI VAN Interconnect, you can exchange transactions with these trading partners. This service supports the exchange of ANSI X12, UCS, UN/EDIFACT, and UN/TDI formatted data between and other supported EDI VANs.

The X.400 gateway provides support for the 1988-based X.400 international messaging standard, which includes X.435. If you are an X.400-based user, you can exchange data with your Information Exchange trading partners without requiring them to implement new hardware, software, or X.400/X.435. Likewise, if you are an Information Exchange user, you can reach your X.400-compliant trading partners without being X.400-compliant. Information Exchange packages your messages in X.400 format for you.

The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) gateway to Information Exchange extends your ability exchange EDI messages, binary messages, and text messages with any party that has an Internet mail connection. As an EDI customer, you can now send and receive electronic transactions to and from your trading partners who use Internet mail to communicate. Using this feature enables participation of these trading partners in EDI without the investment in additional hardware and software.

Information Exchange enables users on different Information Exchange systems around the world to trade information with each other. Trading partners who are on different Information Exchange systems are identified by a three-character identifier and an account ID and user ID.

The system IDs currently available for use are:

Information Exchange Administration Services is a value-added feature of Information Exchange that allows you to control many aspects of your Information Exchange environment using a network-attached terminal In addition, you can perform a number of Information Exchange Administration Services functions in batch mode by using one of the Expedite interface programs.

Your personnel can perform a variety of administrative tasks and look up information online, aided by easy-to-use screens and help panels. Up to four alternate administrators are allowed for each account or for an individual user ID. An alternate administrator performs the service administrator tasks for one or more users. They can also be users outside the account. This ability can be useful for users who do not have access to Information Exchange Administration Services and need another user to perform administrative tasks for them.

Administration Services functions allow system administrators to:

• Define and manage trading partner lists.
• Set up and maintain permanent (reusable) and temporary distribution lists that make it easy to send a single message to multiple recipients. Distribution lists can be defined as personal or available to all users within an account.
• Set up carbon copy/redirect relationships without the need to call the Customer Care Help Desk.
• Establish and maintain alias tables for trading partner addresses that associate an alias name with the correct Information Exchange system ID, account ID, and user ID. Alias names of DUNS numbers, communication IDs, or telephone numbers are useful for EDI users of ANSI X12 or other data standards. Alias tables can be defined as private, organizational, or global. Alias tables can be maintained offline and uploaded later to Information Exchange.
• Define an individual user's characteristics and ability to perform functions in Information Exchange.
• Help users when they have problems by resetting a password or resetting users' sessions when a problem makes continuing the session impossible.
• Manage user profiles and the Extended Security Option, which provides additional password and mailbox security.
• Set a preferred time zone and date format to be used in displaying data in Information Exchange Administration Services; the default time zone is Greenwich mean time (GMT).
• Look at the messages waiting in the mailbox and delete selected messages.
• Look at audit data that Information Exchange provides about use of the service.
• View, retrieve, and delete archived messages.
• List the system IDs that can be used when sending messages employing the international reach feature.
• Search alias tables and trading partner lists using account ID and/or user IDs as search criteria.
• Display the common data header, which contains information about a message such as record format, record length, record delimiter and message description.
• View session trace information.

Information Exchange Administration Services for the Web provides users of Information Exchange with the ability to perform most-often-requested administration services options, such as checking mailbox status, viewing audit information, and archived message retrieval via a Web browser and an Internet connection

Customers now have the ability to be easily perform administration functions from the Web with less need to contact Customer Care.

Libraries are a facility of Information Exchange that allows data to be stored for an extended period of time. Unlike messages in a user's mailbox, information in a library is not deleted automatically after a certain amount of time or after all receivers have picked up the information. Some examples of uses for libraries are:

• Product catalog information
• Technical specifications
• Problem descriptions
• Programs
• Newsletters
• Requests for quotes

Data is stored in a library in units called library members. For example, a product catalog library can consist of a separate member for each individual product. A single library can contain approximately 2 billion members. Any one library member cannot be greater than 50 million characters of data.

With Information Exchange Administration Services, you can define a library and set up authorization for other users to access it. As a library owner, you designate whether the users have "read" access, "write" access or both. Read access allows users to view and retrieve library data. Write access allows them to enter or replace information. A library can also be defined as either "searchable" or "non-searchable". In a searchable library, a key word index is created. Each unique word and its document location is automatically entered in the index. This allows this type of library to be searched using key words.

There are two methods of loading data into a library. Data can be sent to a library member as an Information Exchange message by using an Information Exchange program, such as Expedite Base/MVS. Data also can be entered into a library member by typing the data using Information Exchange Administration Services.

EDI Services provides security features for Information Exchange and for network access to Information Exchange to help prevent unauthorized access to the mailbox service and to customer data.

For AT&T Global Network Services users, network access is protected by account IDs, user IDs, and passwords.

For ANX users, the GXS connection to ANX is fully compliant with the security protocol prescribed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).

For Internet users, GXS employs standard Internet security protocols for authentication, data confidentiality, and data integrity.

In addition, once users have logged on to a network they must provide a current password to access the Information Exchange service.

Through the Information Exchange user profiles that you define and maintain, you can specify what user IDs can send or receive messages and, furthermore, what part of the message transmission you are willing to pay for. Using the receive command, you can choose to accept messages only from certain account IDs and/or user IDs. Information Exchange will not place unauthorized messages in a user's mailbox.

You can also select the Extended Security Option for additional password and mailbox security.

The security-enhanced environment for Information Exchange includes a unique user password to access the service, defined profiles, categorical or service limit facilities, and multiple levels for general users and service administrators.

Information Exchange provides a flexible set of acknowledgment options that help you keep track of messages and monitor use of the service.

The receipt acknowledgment confirms that a message has arrived at the Information Exchange mailbox. When a trading partner retrieves a message, Information Exchange can forward a delivery acknowledgment to the sender's mailbox.

Information Exchange also indicates if it has purged a message because the trading partner did not retrieve it within the specified retention period. If the sender does not specify a retention period of 1 to 180 days, Information Exchange stores a message for 30 days before purging it.

Information Exchange creates an audit file of information on the status of messages. Audit information is maintained for a minimum of 15 days or a maximum of 45 days. Audit data can be viewed online using Information Exchange Administration Services or placed in the Information Exchange mailbox for retrieval. The audit trail information includes information about when a message was sent and received. Included are the date and time stamps for when the send and receive were started, ended and committed to Information Exchange. For EDI data, the EDI exchange control numbers are included and can be viewed by the EDI user.

Information Exchange Administration Services facilities allow you to select audit data for viewing by:

• Date and time range, specifying a certain period of time
• User ID, to see the status of messages sent by a particular user ID in your account
• Trading partner, to see the status of messages sent to or received from a particular trading partner
• Message class
• Message status

Standard charges: Information Exchange provides flexible support for the multicompany communications environment by allowing you and your individual trading partners to decide how to share the costs of exchanging information.

For example, with one trading partner you can accept responsibility only for charges incurred in sending messages to the mailbox or retrieving messages waiting for you. With another, you can pay for all charges. Or you can elect to pay no Information Exchange charges for communications with a specific trading partner; that trading partner pays both the Information Exchange charges for sending and receiving.

You can also set up a user profile default to take care of message exchanges with trading partners that are not covered in a specific trading partner profile.