EDI-L: This post is regarding dial-up access with Caterpillar Tractor company. We are in the process of selecting a new EDI Software package but have been finding that very few of them offer direct dial-up access using modems. Most offer FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, and etc. At first, I thought this would be a major problem since, currently, our biggest customer Caterpillar ONLY offers access via dial-up modems. Through logging some calls into Caterpillar, I've stumbled across a strong rumor that Caterpillar is eliminating dial-up access. I would like to know if any of you out there have experience with Caterpillar and could either confirm or deny this rumor. It's a positive thing for me, because we're in the process of selecting a new package, most of which don't offer dial-up capabilities. (Although, I'll still need to have dial-up capabilities for some future EDI trading partners we have lined up.) However, for those of you out there that access Caterpillar via dial-up EDI software, it could present a problem for you. The following is a copy of an email I sent my boss, summarizing the issues we're working through. (I thought, rather than re-typing all of this information over again, I'd just cut/paste the details into this posting. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.) :O) Again, please let me know if your experiences with Caterpillar either agree or conflict with this information. Thanks, Dan Tharp DBA / EDI Specialist G&D Transportation 50 Commerce Drive Morton, IL 61550 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: (309) 266-1177, ext 292 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boss-Man: I've been speaking with CAT EDI support over the past couple of days trying to track down the rumors that CAT will be offering send/recieve capabilities via NON-dialup means. Many of the first/second level support people denied the rumor, but by the time I got through to third level support, Joe Schmoe said that CAT is currently "piloting" web access for EDI transactions through a company called Eventra (http://www.eventra.com). (This is the pilot I heard about a couple of weeks back which was supposed to be free for suppliers.) This pilot is supposed to run until the end of March. Currently, accessing CAT EDI via Evantra is limited to web based data entry screens, so they are only allowing those companies who do NOT have integrated EDI. Batch processing is NOT allowed during the pilot. The plan is to allow batched transactions through Eventra within 2-3 months. Joe also mentioned a company called ANX (http://www.anx.com). This is another company CAT is teaming up with to allow non-dialup access for EDI. Ford (their"800 pound gorilla") is forcing CAT to go with ANX in order to deal with Ford. Likewise, other large manufacturers that CAT deals with are moving to ANX. CAT is planning on moving all of their VAN (value added network) accesses from dial up to ANX by the end of the MARCH! (WOW! That's pretty aggressive!). This includes Harbinger, Sterling Commerce, Giess and some others. This means, if someone dials up to Harbinger/Sterling Commerce/Giess, these VANS in turn will NOT be dialing up to CAT. They will have to go through ANX. CAT is also putting together an alternative access method, internally, using FTP. This is supposed to be completed and ready for the public by the end of March as well. (Joe added that everything is pretty much chaotic over there....a LOT of changes are happening right now.) Lastly....(get this).....according to Joe, CAT just decided that all customers/suppliers will be required to use NON-dialup access methods by the end of the year, but will be encouraged to do so ASAP. I asked Joe, "What does that mean for someone out there using Harbinger Trustedlink which can ONLY use dialup means?" He said they would either have to migrate to another software vendor (which CAT is recommending) or go through one of the VANs (such as Harbinger/Giess/Sterling Commerce) who will then access CAT via non-dialup. He said CMS (Cat Mailbox System) and SPC (which was originally a Sterling Commerce system) are currenly dial-up only and these systems will be completely eliminated by the end of the year. The intent is to be entirely non-dialup. So...if you are a customer/supplier of CAT and you're sending/receiving EDI, you have three choices: - Migrate off of your dialup only EDI software, - Keep your dialup only EDI software, but get to CAT through a VAN that does direct connections, - Subscribe to ANX yourself (which apparently is very expensive), or - Use CAT's FTP I described our situation to Joe and how we're trying to select a new EDI software package, but not many of them offer any dial-up capabilities. I asked if we could take part in the process of testing either the Eventra batch access or CAT's internal FTP access and he asked how soon we would be selecting a new software package. I told him our goal was to have the selection made by the end of March and once we did that, we'd be waiting on CAT to be able to handle non-dialup access. He said he would have his boss call me and get some information about becoming part of one of these two pilots--Eventra / CAT FTP. The timing seems to work....if we get a replacement package selected and in place before the end of March, I can begin creating maps for the existing inbound 850s and outbound 810s (to replace the Harbinger mappings), and we'll work with CAT to finalize the connection issues. I'll let you know when I find out more. Dan. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================= To contact the list owner: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/edi-l%40listserv.ucop.edu/
