Microsoft .NET Server Solutions for the Enterprise

As previously stated, one of the most common problems businesses are trying to solve is how to transfer data to other businesses reliably and securely over the Internet. The scenarios that require a business to send data and information to another business are almost endless. They include:

• Large companies that need to exchange data and information with small partners. Small companies usually have access to the Internet via a Web browser and ISP-based e-mail, but not much beyond that. Even though these small business partners are not sophisticated in their use of EAI and business-to-business integration, they still need to exchange data with a larger partner securely and reliably.
• Businesses that usually need to send and receive information in various formats. Some of these include EDI, XML, ASCII, and binary formats.
• Businesses that have the need to send large amounts of data. The ability to send files larger than 1 GB over the Internet reliably may mean the difference between updating a Web-based catalog today, or days from now.

A solution, which we present in this chapter, can do all these things and more.