History

  • 1878—GE is founded in Schenectady, New York by Thomas Edison, Elihu Thompson and Edwin Houston.
  • 1948—The Berlin airlift gives rise to a system that would later become the basis for electronic data interchange (EDI).
  • 1965—GE launches its first computer time-sharing centres in New York, NY and Phoenix, AZ.
  • 1967—GXS was founded as GE Information Services (GEIS). Focused on computer time-sharing, the company was a pioneer in the development and use of the BASIC language (with Dartmouth College). GEIS now has 35 time-sharing centres throughout the world.
  • 1968—GEIS’s time-sharing service becomes available in 61 metropolitan areas; GEIS enjoys an estimated one-third of the total time-sharing market.
  • 1970s—The computer time-sharing service enjoys its heyday and achieves tremendous adoption throughout the United States and beyond; “Portable terminals” are made available in the form of an 80 pound suitcase with handles and wheels. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft®, becomes one of the early users of the GE time-sharing system via the early Mark III platform; Gates is later quoted as saying his “favorite gift” he ever received was time on a GE Mark III time-sharing computer at his middle school in Seattle.
  • 1980—As the “personal computer” gains adoption, computer time-sharing rapidly declines; GEIS migrates its business focus from time-sharing services to value added network services such as EDI–a service that enables businesses to transact electronically with its suppliers and buyers using standard data formats; GXS’s primary competitor in this market is IBM.
  • 1985—GEIS launches EDI Express, one of its EDI software products that later gains wide adoption. GEIS also launches GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange), a text based online service for electronic mail, discussion forums, games and shopping. A precursor to the Internet, GEnie ran at the then high speed rate of 1200 bits per second and was $5–$6 per hour during the evenings (more expensive during the day).
  • 1986—GEIS launches QUIK-COMM, an early electronic mail service that runs entirely on private networks, enabling internal email exchanges for businesses. PUBNET is launched, an EDI-based ordering and invoicing system for the American Association of Publishers, which GXS still supports today.
  • 1987—GEIS adds new technology and capabilities to its Mark III platform, touting that it enables “users to access all their information needs in a single session, using just one terminal and viewing data on a multi-windowed screen.” GEIS begins to put a greater focus on international growth and becomes the first company to offer international value added network (VAN) services in Japan.
  • 1988—EDI is taking off; GEIS’ EDI Express service is growing month to month at what equates to a 200% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
  • 1989—GEIS grows its focus on the financial services industry by enabling Australia’s Westpac Banking Corp and Spain’s Banco Bilboa Viscaya to achieve cross-functional corporate client integration.
  • 1990—GEIS now offers QuikNews Express, a personalised electronic news clipping service integrated into the QUIKCOMM Service. GEIS expands its network into East Germany.
  • 1993—GEIS establishes its first website and an Internet-based mail gateway. This gateway processes more than half a million email messages a month by 1995.
  • 1995—The Internet begins gaining greater commercial adoption; extensible markup language (XML), a new format for document exchange, is created. GEIS and Microsoft announce an agreement to provide EDI services on the Microsoft Network (MSN)
  • 1996—GEIS announces its first Internet-based, EDI-enabled Electronic Product Catalog service. GEIS and Netscape form a joint venture called Actra for the delivery of Internet-based B2B e-commerce applications.
  • 1997—GEIS begins to innovate with EDI–now offering web-based EDI services, additional pricing options for lower-volume users and EDI outsourcing (later expanded in scope and called GXS Managed Services).
  • 1998—GEIS’ global electronic trading community exceeds 100,000 trading partners. GEIS’s Desktop*EDI software exceeds 2,000 units sold within the first 30 days of availability.
  • 1999—GEIS acquires RMS Electronic Commerce Systems, the creator of what became GXS Application Integrator, a software tool that enables any-to-any data translation.
  • 2000—GEIS changes its name to GXS.
  • 2002—GXS is spun out from GE as an independent company and purchased by venture capital firms Francisco Partners and Norwest Venture Partners; GE retains a 10% share in the company. GXS acquires Celarix, giving the company new supply chain visibility capabilities and services, both EDI and XML-based.
  • 2003—GXS acquires HAHT Commerce, a provider of product information management software for retailers and suppliers.
  • 2004—GXS launches GXS Trading Grid, its new global platform for e-business integration.
  • 2005—GXS acquires IBM’s Information Exchange business, the company’s EDI services business. GXS is ranked a leader in the Forrester Wave™ for integration suite vendors. GXS begins laser focus on B2B outsourcing, moving customers from basic EDI services to broader, global B2B enablement programs, called GXS Managed Services.
  • 2006—GXS named a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Integration Service Providers. GXS Trading Grid named recommended global B2B network for Microsoft BizTalk Server. GXS acquires product data quality service provider, UDEX.
  • 2007—GXS adds 32 new customers to GXS Managed Services, bringing its B2B outsourcing customer count to more than 200; GXS Managed Services revenue grows 40 percent from 2006 to 2007. Verizon Business and GXS team up to offer GXS Managed Services to Verizon Business customers.
  • 2008—GXS Managed Services continues rapid customer adoption and growth with 30 new customers and 25% revenue growth.
  • 2009—GXS acquires Brazil-based EDI services company, Interchange Services, adding 50 of the country’s largest banks to GXS Trading Grid.
  • 2010—GXS completes merger with Inovis, creating the world’s largest network of integrated business communities, with 40,000 customers and direct operations in 20 countries.
  • 2011—GXS acquires RollStream, a leading SaaS provider of enterprise community management services. GXS Trading Grid® Named Techworld’s "Software-as-a-Service Product of the Year 2011".