SEEBURGER Launches ODETTE-Certified Solutions for OFTP2 Communication

ATLANTA, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- SEEBURGER Inc. today announced the availability of multiple ODETTE-certified OFTP2 solutions for automotive suppliers who must meet OEM mandates to migrate to the ODETTE File Transfer Protocol 2 for supply chain communications. SEEBURGER is among the first business-to-business integration providers to receive OFTP2 certification from ODETTE International, the European automotive standards organization, and the only certified provider to offer both hosted and licensed deployment options with and without its own B2B gateway.

SEEBURGER's choice of OFTP2 deployment strategies will enable suppliers to immediately implement the OFTP2 communication being requested by Volvo, VW and other manufacturers without replacing their EDI system or requiring in-house EDI capabilities. Options include:

• On-premise deployment with SEEBURGER's OFTP2:Connect adapter solution as a front-end to the SEEBURGER Business Integration Server (BIS) platform or any third-party EDI system, utilizing file transfer for integration between the OFTP2 solution and the EDI system.
• Hosted deployment under the managed services model through SEEBURGER's OFTP2:Clearing solution for suppliers that do not want to invest in a separate system for OFTP2 communication, again enabling use with SEEBURGER as well as third-party EDI platforms.
• Direct-to-ERP deployment for smaller suppliers, utilizing SEEBURGER's BIS:Express product for non-OFTP2 message exchange and a choice of data transfer methods for OFTP2 communications.

OFTP2 is the successor to OFTP, a communication standard that has been used for more than two decades to exchange purchase orders and other transaction messages primarily within the automotive industry. OFTP2 adds new functionality such as authentication, signing, encryption and data compression for secure and reliable data exchange over the public Internet, eliminating costly Value-Added Network (VAN) and ISDN fees as well as increasing data transmission speeds over the X.25 and ISDN networks for which the original OFTP standard was developed.

Automotive OEMs including Volvo, Volkswagen, PSA and BMW have announced plans to migrate EDI and/or engineering partners to OFTP2 over TCP/IP as early as June 2010, abandoning OFTP as well as message exchange over X.25 and ISDN networks.

"We participated in the development of the OFTP2 protocol, and we already have gone live with large OFTP2 projects," said SEEBURGER Vice President Bill Metallo. "This is an important initiative that will help the automotive industry achieve new communication efficiencies as well as truly global data exchange, and we are among the first companies to meet the demand with a certified solution set."

SEEBURGER previously was the first EDI technology provider with an AS2 solution, which was used to turn the Hyundai Motor Company factory in Alabama into the first AS2-only automotive plant when it opened in 2005. SEEBURGER also helped Hyundai electronically enable a key group of Tier 1 component suppliers that lacked EDI capabilities with a then-unique AS2-based Hub & Spoke system, providing the 100% Tier 1 trading partner integration required to support the plant's just-in-time and just-in-sequence operations.

About SEEBURGER

SEEBURGER is a leading provider of global business integration solutions designed to optimize transactions throughout the extended enterprise by automating trading relationships with all partners regardless of their size and technical resources. Launched in 1986 to provide integration solutions to the automotive industry in Germany, the company today is ranked among the top business-to-business gateway providers by leading industry analysts, and serves more than 7,800 customers in more than 50 countries and more than 15 industries through its flagship Business Integration Server and related products and services. SEEBURGER has global offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, including a U.S. office that opened in 1998. For more information, visit www.SEEBURGER.com

SOURCE SEEBURGER Inc.