9 December 2004 — GXS has launched additional transaction management services to further strengthen its global e-commerce integration platform, Trading Grid. GXS’ new capabilities will allow businesses of all sizes and technological abilities to interact with trading partners using both the latest XML standards as well as traditional EDI standards. As a result, dissolving the inherent barriers between large and small trading partners and improving intelligence and visibility in the supply chain.

Manage the unexpected with enhanced visibility and intelligence
All businesses lose valuable time due to interruptions and exceptions that occur during a normal business day but it is especially true in an electronic trading environment where no one partner has end-to-end control over the transaction flow. For example, businesses run the risk of missing documents that have been rejected due to an invalid address or incorrect enveloping resulting in penalties or lost business from its trading partners. Or, a smaller business that receives purchase orders infrequently may miss orders because it hasn’t checked its mailbox at the right time but if it is continually logging on to check, it ends up wasting precious time.

With its additional new transaction capabilities, Trading Grid will:

• save time and expense by alerting its customers to exceptions before they become emergencies
• speed up order fulfilment through notifications of document availability as it arrives in the mailbox
• prevent delays by warning of mailbox errors as soon as they occur
• provide activity reports so that businesses can identify which trading partners are the most accurate and timely

Enhance opportunities for small to mid-sized businesses by integrating with all partners whether they use AS2, an accounting package or a fax to trade In today’s trading communities, the complexity of IT standards and protocols combined with the influx of emerging markets and the proliferation of small, niche suppliers, have resulted in many trading partners struggling to interact effectively. As a result, business opportunities are being lost, the supply chain is becoming increasingly complex and costs are potentially soaring. GXS’ Trading Grid guarantees that no trading partner will be left behind. Whether a supplier has the most sophisticated infrastructure, has been using an accounting software package and re-keying the data into web forms or only has access to a web browser – they can all access the same functionality to streamline cross-enterprise business processes. With its new capabilities for the SMB community, Trading Grid will:

• eliminate manual processes, re-keying information, data errors and costly administration
• allow businesses to respond quickly to new requirements from its trading partners
• enable aggressively growing businesses to increase revenue without reducing head count
• improve efficiency by allowing small businesses to automatically integrate transactions with accounting packages

Bobby Patrick, senior vice president of marketing for GXS, said: “Global visibility within the supply chain is now a reality, rather than a pipe dream, for all trading partners. Visibility can be improved for most organisations through a variety of means – whether it’s being alerted to the fact that a PO has arrived, message pairing and analysis to look for exceptions or being able to read all data no matter what standard or protocol it uses. The beauty of Trading Grid is that GXS can deliver such capabilities to all trading partners of any size regardless of any internal limitations that may have previously prevented the supply chain from progressing.”

About GXS Trading Grid
GXS Trading Grid® is a globally-accessible, real-time platform for business process networking. Trading Grid helps customers automate global trading communities by shielding complexity from rapidly-changing standards, eliminating manual and duplicative efforts, and enabling a new level of process integration and business intelligence. Through direct integration with GXS’ Trading Grid, both large and small customers can extend existing ERP investments and cost-effectively achieve new levels of collaboration and business success. For more information on Trading Grid, visit www.gxs.com/TradingGrid.

About GXS
GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organisations worldwide, including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage GXS Trading Grid® to achieve balance between supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronise product information, optimise inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information about GXS visit www.gxs.co.uk.