Because many companies have invested heavily in older technologies, such as EDI, that still provide significant value, it is also important to be able to continue to use these proven systems alongside the new ones. B2B Technologies understands that no company can afford to abandon functioning technology; we advocate intelligently combining these two technologies types in a blended computing environment.

B2B specializes in building, deploying and maintaining supply chain solutions that help businesses integrate their operations with those of their suppliers. For more than a decade, B2B has delivered the e-commerce solutions needed to enable collaboration across customers' sophisticated supply chains.

In our experience, supplier integration projects span two equally critical stages - evaluating opportunities for improving supplier integration, and identifying those technology investments capable of delivering the highest ROI. B2B works with its customers in both stages to help ensure that delivered projects streamline working relationships with suppliers, while making a bottom-line difference for customers.

B2B's collaboration expertise bridges a wide variety of tools, technologies and solutions:

• EDI - For companies with a large investment in EDI infrastructure, it is often not feasible to replace this infrastructure. New supply chain solutions need to co-exist and integrate with existing EDI systems.
• XML - A new and improved language for describing structured data and a strong foundation from which to enable Web services.
• Web Services - A set of open protocols and standards that make it easy for businesses to find and share both data and business logic over the Internet. Web Services are based on a number of industry standards, such as XML, SOAP and WSDL.
• Commerce Server - Microsoft's e-commerce platform for the delivery of complex customer commerce solutions.
• BizTalk Server - Microsoft's Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) product that provides a complete platform to support the integration of data and processes - inside the customer's organization and outside to its trading partners.
• SupplierLink - B2B's Web-based supplier collaboration solution, built with Microsoft's .NET technology.
• CustomerLink - B2B's Web-based customer self-service solution, built with Microsoft's .NET technology.

To learn more about the supply chain solutions B2B Technologies has delivered, review the following case studies:

• Kubota Manufacturing of America: How just-in-time manufacturing benefits when a supplier extranet can speed manufacturing requirements directly to suppliers.
• XS International: How one distributor of new and refurbished computer equipment moved its business to the Web.