•     Automatic ordering from suppliers

•     Elimination of manual data re-entry

•     Replication of data between sites

•     Inter-branch communication

•     Performing scripted tasks on receipt of data

•     Critical data backups

•     Email forwarding

•     Data format conversion

•     Receive and print orders/invoices automatically (with expansion process)

•     High speed, seamless uninterrupted data transfer inter and intra enterprise

•     Minimize the amount of user interaction required for data exchange

•     Reduction of errors and manual handling in business transactions

•     Enhancement of the functionality and effectiveness of message standards for businesses

•     User-friendly and easy to customise to individual business requirements.

•     Secure, reliable and fully audited transaction paths

1. It functions as a general file collection server, accepting files from various sources over the Internet (as well as both local and wide-area networks).

2. It functions as a ‘pre-processor’ for these files – they can be renamed, placed in specific directories, have their format converted or be passed to external programs.

3. It supports the insertion of these files into any database system to allow it to function as a facilitator for e-commerce, or any other real-time transaction based system. This could be anything from accepting product orders to archiving work from staff when they are out of the office.

The B2BLink Server also acts as an FTP server, and is fully compliant with the FTP Protocol, supporting Active or Passive mode FTP (PORT/PASV) and allowing any number of simultaneous client connections. 

Supporting FTP gives a threefold advantage: FTP is directly supported by Microsoft Windows (via Internet Explorer), meaning virtually any client will be able to access the B2BLink server without requiring any additional software. 

FTP is a direct, virtually instant connection (unlike email, which involves a delivery delay). Once the transfer is complete, the file has been received by the server and is being processed. 

FTP also involves no encoding – email encoding increases transmission size by over 25%, which can be an issue over slower connections (especially if large files are being exchanged).

The Server has the ability to connect to any number of POP3 servers and check for email messages. These messages are downloaded and the attachments decoded and saved for further processing within the system. Information about the account the messages were downloaded from, the return address of each message and the name of the attachments are used to determine the action taken to process the files.

The B2BLink Server also acts as a server for TCFT, the proprietary protocol designed for use over unreliable TCP connections. This protocol is unique to B2BLink, and utilizes advanced encoding and transmission techniques to guarantee that the file received is exactly the same in every respect as the file that was sent. This protocol is direct and instantaneous (similarly to FTP) but has the advantage of added security (due to the proprietary nature of the protocol), and increased connection fidelity. This is the method recommended for communication between B2BLink servers.