XML-to-EDI links forged

BLUESTONE SOFTWARE, IN Philadelphia, and XML Solutions, in Mclean, Va., have aligned to enable the real-time exchange of data between EDI (electronic data interchange) and XML-based systems.

"The solution is a common bridge from XML documents to the old EDI," said John Capobianco, executive vice president at Bluestone. "It can expand the scope of communication by using XML as a standard vehicle [for data exchange]."

The integration of Bluestone's Total-e-B2B e-business Integration Server with XML Solutions' XEDI Translator and Schema Central will enable companies with EDI systems, which previously communicated only with other EDI systems, to conduct business with partners using XML.

Beyond EDI-to-XML data exchange, Bluestone and XML Solutions aim to provide a means for companies to exchange XML-to-XML and schema-to-schema data, according to Capobianco.

"This doesn't take the place of EDI. EDI works, there's no need to replace it, but everything that companies build today, they'll probably build in the new Internet environment," Capobianco said.

Tom Sullivan is a senior writer at InfoWorld.