Atlanta, GA March 15, 2001 CarrierPoint, a provider of Web-based logistics software to the $154 billion less-than-truckload and full-truckload freight market, recently announced the general availability of its Open Marketplace Services Interface (OMSI) toolkit.
The OMSI toolkit allows for Atlanta, Ga.-based CarrierPoint's customers to integrate the software provider's logistics applications with customers' legacy or packaged systems. Using a platform- and technology-independent architecture, the toolkit provides a number of options for integration that can be chosen based on the customers' existing technology infrastructure and talent.
The OMSI toolkit employs secure communications, authentication services and guaranteed message delivery, yet can be implemented and maintained by customer personnel without the assistance of in-house Internet technology experts. The toolkit utilizes Internet communication and security technology to enable a platform- and language-independent application programming interface (API) through which the customer interacts with CarrierPoint. This allows for a simple, low-cost link to CarrierPoint's logistics solutions. Although the toolkit can also be used in conjunction with third-party integration tools or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems, they are not required for its use.
According to an industrywide survey performed by the Journal of Commerce, integration costs and complexities are often cited as obstacles to the adoption of Internet technology. Of the respondents not using the Internet, 25 percent to 30 percent cited upfront costs, including integration with legacy systems, as an obstacle to adopting Internet technology. In addition, half of those who were not yet using the Internet for their logistics needs plan to do so within 12 months if their needs, including integration issues, are addressed.
CarrierPoint's OMSI toolkit can be used to integrate a customer's system with any of CarrierPoint's logistics solutions, and it can be used with various platforms and operating systems, including OS/400, Sun Solaris, Microsoft NT and Linux. The toolkit can also be used, regardless of the way in which the customer has implemented a CarrierPoint solution, as a private licensed installation, a hosted solution or an Application Service Provider installation.
