Overview

OFTP 2 updates the OFTP (ODETTE File Transfer Protocol) in line with market desires to strengthen its position as the premier choice of businesses for performing reliable, automated exchanges of business documents in ALL market sectors. This has been achieved by implementing new security features within OFTP and by adding in other miscellaneous features desired by businesses.

The Internet is the network of the future having already displaced both X.25 and ISDN as communications options. Companies are frequently turning to the Internet for communications to take advantage of the lack of call charges and high bandwidth availability. Unfortunately the Internet is inherently insecure with anybody able to look at the packets that are exchanged between computers. It is not a safe environment for companies wishing to exchange business critical data and highly secretive information. Security features in OFTP have not previously been required when X.25 and ISDN networks were commonplace but, with the advent of the Internet, OFTP had to evolve and provide security features to remain as the protocol of choice for businesses.

The new OFTP goes head to head with an alternative protocol for secure EDI over the Internet, known as AS2. This whitepaper is intended to provide a comparison of OFTP 2.0 next to AS2, both from a commercial perspective and a technical perspective.

OFTP 2 has been developed by the OFTP Security Working Group, working under the ODETTE International Ltd banner.

Key Features

• Message encryption
• Digitally signed messages
• Digitally signed message receipts
• Authentication
• File compression
• Automatic file restart
• Works over ISDN, X.25, TCP/IP