Softshare Delta Supports Edifecs’ SpecBuilder Guidelines

Softshare Delta, Softshare’s new data translator, supports importing of Edifecs’ proprietary XML standard for universal exchange of guidelines between trading partners

SANTA BARBARA, CA. – August 16, 1999 – Softshare and Edifecs Commerce have announced a collaboration between their two product lines, Softshare Delta and SpecBuilder. Softshare Delta supports Edifecs’ proprietary XML based standard called Guideline XML (gXML). With this support in place, SpecBuilder users can import their XML guidelines directly into the Softshare Delta mapper.

Frank Gott, president of Softshare, believes the collaboration to be a natural one saying, "Edifecs and Softshare's product lines are very complementary and when combined, provide the electronic commerce implementer with all the tools required to successfully design, build and maintain an e-commerce initiative. Softshare is looking forward to future collaboration with Edifecs to leverage the respective strengths of our products and solve the challenges of a rapidly changing commerce landscape."

Softshare Delta is a data mapping and translation application that integrates EDI and XML documents with an enterprise’s existing line of business applications. Softshare Delta translates many data formats including the ANSI X12 and UN/EDIFACT EDI standards, flat files, databases, XML documents, and text documents.

SpecBuilder is the world’s leading specification development suite. SpecBuilder’s powerful yet very simple and easy to use interface allows users to define, manage, print, publish, document & distribute Guidelines. With that goal in mind, Edifecs has defined an XML based standard called Guideline XML (gXML). Details on gXML are available on www.CommerceDesk.Com.
The traditional mapping process involves many complicated steps. First, the incoming and outgoing data formats need to be defined. Then, the two data formats are linked by a set of rules that describes how the information from one format should be translated into the other. The result is a map.

The process of creating maps can be very time-intensive. By supporting Edifecs’ gXML guideline, Softshare hopes to make the process more efficient for SpecBuilder users. A guideline once defined should never have to be defined again by another partner. In addition to Edifecs’ gXML guideline, Softshare Delta supports the import of EDI documents, SEF files, XML documents, and Document Type Definitions (DTDs) for easy definition of data formats.

“Edifecs Commerce is delighted to have partnered with Softshare to integrate the two product lines”, states Sunny Singh, CEO of Edifecs Commerce. “The linked product lines will allow Softshare’s customers to derive the benefits of using SpecBuilder as a front end to create guidelines, perform compliance checking, generate test data and more. Those guidelines can then be exported to Softshare’s Mapper and also distributed to trading partners using a SpecBuilder integrated (gXML compliant) Mapper.”

About Edifecs Commerce
Edifecs Commerce is the leading provider of business-to-business electronic commerce and electronic data interchange software products and services for “Enabling & Managing Business Communities”. Edifecs’ tools automate the time consuming and costly tasks of e-business modeling, collaboration and testing. For more information call 425-895-3020 or visit Edifecs’ web site at www.edifecs.com. For business alliances email ecpn@edifecs.com.

About Softshare
Softshare offers a multi-tiered approach to EDI with software solutions that range from simple desktop applications to fully integrated server applications. Supporting these EDI applications is Softshare’s value added network and accessible customer service. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Softshare has more than 20,000 clients using its various network, software, and EDI services. For more information, call 800-346-6703 or visit Softshare’s web site at www.softshare.com.