Actra to release its first EDI products next month (230)

Netscape spin-off Actra will release its first products for electronic commerce next month. Under the banner Cross Commerce, the software will debut on 19 May and will include offerings for electronic data interchange on the Internet.

Actra, a joint venture between Netscape and EDI specialist GE Information Systems (GEIS), took over development of Netscape's Merchant and Publishing systems when it was founded a year ago. Both its Cross Commerce and Netscape's Crossware software, introduced last month, use these servers and are designed to be complementary. Actra focuses its efforts on Extranets and electronic commerce rather than enterprise systems, the main target for its parent.

The first Actra tools will include ECXpert, a tool that enables legacy systems to support EDI on the Net, and two Net-EDI packages, Order Xpert Seller and Order Xpert Buyer. The company will upgrade the Merchant and Publishing systems later this year. Publishing 2.0 will feature document management, support for Java and Javascript user interfaces, replication and push technology. It will be released in the third quarter.

Version 2.0 of Merchant System will make its debut late this year or early in 1998. Enhancements, according to senior product manager Jack Corsello, will include customisable back end services, order status monitoring and customer profiles. Additional customer services such as refunds and coupons will also be supported. An NT version of the Unix product is under development for release next year.

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