TransportationXML (tXML)

Logistics.com Introduces Logistics Event Management Architecture to Foster Business Process and Integration Standards in Logistics Industry

Key Components Include TransportationXML (tXML) for Application Integration and Message Bus for Standardized Collaboration. Dozens of Leading Companies Already Involved

Burlington, MA, USA. October 1, 2001.

Logistics.com Inc., the leader in transportation procurement and management technology building the industry's first standards-based logistics network, today introduced Logistics Event Management Architecture (LEMA), with the goal of leading the logistics industry into its next quantum improvement. Logistics.com developed LEMA as an open, standards-based and user-driven architecture to empower a more seamless flow of information among supply chain and logistics community members as well as adjacent industry participants such as providers of information technology and services.

LEMA has three primary benefits, which are intra- and inter-enterprise application integration, free flow of information and the reduction of cycle time in processing logistics events such as simultaneous offer and acceptance of shipment moves. LEMA simplifies the integration of legacy systems and protocols with Internet-enabled systems and protocols and transforms internally-focused supply chain events into truly collaborative events between trading partners, such as vendors and customers. Through the adoption of LEMA, multiple organizations can process the same logistics event through independent work flows and customize their own specific view of that event's activity.

"The fragmented nature of the logistics and transportation industries makes them perfect candidates for a standards-based initiative like Logistics.com's LEMA," said Romala Ravi, senior analyst, eLogistics Services for IDC. "The lack of standards has been one of the key barriers to the rapid adoption of elogistics services. Through the introduction of LEMA, Logistics.com is responding to shippers' demands for more open, standards-based initiatives."

"We have already established the LEMA set of standards with many Logistics.com customers," said John Lanigan, Logistics.com CEO. "Those standards are operating today, and we are now seeking to expand LEMA participation through the endorsement of the standards bodies. Our customers realize that transportation is the critical link that bridges all parties within today's mission-critical supply chains. It is the trigger for financial information and other flows and is responsible for coordination, visibility and optimization across and within organizations."

LEMA addresses five critical logistics industry-specific business issues that represent the context in which logistics events execute:

Business Objects such as distances, locations and facilities, trucks and ocean and air containers
Relationship Rules and time components that make up the process of contract management
Business Rules, or rules that define the business processes associated with execution of events
Event Monitoring and exception management capabilities such as rejected load scenarios
Integration of various business processes, which is addressed by tXML

Logistics.com developed tXML in conjunction with customers to enable standard application integration among all members of a logistics chain as well as intra-enterprise requirements between legacy and new systems. Logistics chain members include shippers, carriers, consignees, suppliers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and other vendors.

The backbone of LEMA is its message bus, which seamlessly integrates with over 70 distinct external business protocols such as EDI, HTTP, SOAP, XML/RPC and XML over the web. This standardization dramatically reduces the cost and risk of intra- and inter-enterprise application integration and enables the free flow of information versus custom integration. One immediate benefit of LEMA adoption is the elimination of high initial set-up fees and on-going interface maintenance fees associated with each interface between enterprises or applications.

"We are contributing the LEMA and tXML standards to the logistics industry," said Joe Wagner, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Logistics.com. "It is our hope that all logistics community members will benefit by eliminating the repetitive overhead costs associated with systems interfaces and traditional application development so that they can focus their limited resources and investments in real business process benefits."

The following Logistics.com web-native transportation procurement and management applications were developed natively to the LEMA and tXML standards:

OptiManage Capacity Finder: fully automated, web-native product for rapid capacity acquisition
OptiManage Core: web-native, inter-enterprise transportation management solutions
OptiBid Lane: web-native e-procurement tool for transportation
OptiYield Profit Analyzer: web-native interactive tool to improve carrier profitability

Logistics.com's LEMA standards are available to its customers and any other company wishing to reap the benefits of an open and standard business platform. The company plans to expand its momentum to standards bodies.

About Logistics.com

Based in Burlington, Mass., Logistics.com empowers shippers and carriers to buy, sell, manage and optimize transportation services over land, air and ocean. The company's three offerings include OptiBid, a strategic procurement solution for shippers; OptiManage, a comprehensive transportation management solution for shippers; and OptiYield, a management, analysis and procurement solution for carriers. The company has received funding, strategic guidance and operational support from Internet Capital Group (Nasdaq: ICGE). Logistics.com was recently named to the Forbes "Best of the Web: B2B" and the InternetWeek 100 for the second consecutive year, and has also been honored in the Computerworld Top 100 Emerging Companies, the Inter@ctive Week 500 and the Supply Chain e-Business 100. For further information, visit the company website at http://www.logistics.com.

For additional information

Gina Fajardo
Logistics.com
Tel: 781-229-1565, ext. 281
Email: gfajardo@logistics.com

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See: "TransportationXML (tXML)."

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Logistics.com Inc., the leader in transportation procurement and management technology building the industry's first standards-based logistics network, today introduced Logistics Event Management Architecture (LEMA), with the goal of leading the logistics industry into its next quantum improvement. Logistics.com developed LEMA as an open, standards-based and user-driven architecture to empower a more seamless flow of information among supply chain and logistics community members as well as adjacent industry participants such as providers of information technology and services. LEMA has three primary benefits, which are intra- and inter-enterprise application integration, free flow of information and the reduction of cycle time in processing logistics events such as simultaneous offer and acceptance of shipment moves. LEMA simplifies the integration of legacy systems and protocols with Internet-enabled systems and protocols and transforms internally-focused supply chain events into truly collaborative events between trading partners, such as vendors and customers. Through the adoption of LEMA, multiple organizations can process the same logistics event through independent work flows and customize their own specific view of that event's activity. "The fragmented nature of the logistics and transportation industries makes them perfect candidates for a standards-based initiative like Logistics.com's LEMA," said Romala Ravi, senior analyst, eLogistics Services for IDC. "The lack of standards has been one of the key barriers to the rapid adoption of elogistics services. Through the introduction of LEMA, Logistics.com is responding to shippers' demands for more open, standards-based initiatives." "We have already established the LEMA set of standards with many Logistics.com customers," said John Lanigan, Logistics.com CEO. "Those standards are operating today, and we are now seeking to expand LEMA participation through the endorsement of the standards bodies. Our customers realize that transportation is the critical link that bridges all parties within today's mission-critical supply chains. It is the trigger for financial information and other flows and is responsible for coordination, visibility and optimization across and within organizations." LEMA addresses five critical logistics industry-specific business issues that represent the context in which logistics events execute: Business Objects such as distances, locations and facilities, trucks and ocean and air containers Relationship Rules and time components that make up the process of contract management Business Rules, or rules that define the business processes associated with execution of events Event Monitoring and exception management capabilities such as rejected load scenarios Integration of various business processes, which is addressed by tXML Logistics.com developed tXML in conjunction with customers to enable standard application integration among all members of a logistics chain as well as intra-enterprise requirements between legacy and new systems. Logistics chain members include shippers, carriers, consignees, suppliers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and other vendors. The backbone of LEMA is its message bus, which seamlessly integrates with over 70 distinct external business protocols such as EDI, HTTP, SOAP, XML/RPC and XML over the web. This standardization dramatically reduces the cost and risk of intra- and inter-enterprise application integration and enables the free flow of information versus custom integration. One immediate benefit of LEMA adoption is the elimination of high initial set-up fees and on-going interface maintenance fees associated with each interface between enterprises or applications. "We are contributing the LEMA and tXML standards to the logistics industry," said Joe Wagner, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Logistics.com. "It is our hope that all logistics community members will benefit by eliminating the repetitive overhead costs associated with systems interfaces and traditional application development so that they can focus their limited resources and investments in real business process benefits." The following Logistics.com web-native transportation procurement and management applications were developed natively to the LEMA and tXML standards: OptiManage Capacity Finder: fully automated, web-native product for rapid capacity acquisition OptiManage Core: web-native, inter-enterprise transportation management solutions OptiBid Lane: web-native e-procurement tool for transportation OptiYield Profit Analyzer: web-native interactive tool to improve carrier profitability Logistics.com's LEMA standards are available to its customers and any other company wishing to reap the benefits of an open and standard business platform. The company plans to expand its momentum to standards bodies. About Logistics.com Based in Burlington, Mass., Logistics.com empowers shippers and carriers to buy, sell, manage and optimize transportation services over land, air and ocean. The company's three offerings include OptiBid, a strategic procurement solution for shippers; OptiManage, a comprehensive transportation management solution for shippers; and OptiYield, a management, analysis and procurement solution for carriers. The company has received funding, strategic guidance and operational support from Internet Capital Group (Nasdaq: ICGE). Logistics.com was recently named to the Forbes "Best of the Web: B2B" and the InternetWeek 100 for the second consecutive year, and has also been honored in the Computerworld Top 100 Emerging Companies, the Inter@ctive Week 500 and the Supply Chain e-Business 100. For further information, visit the company website at http://www.logistics.com. For additional information Gina Fajardo Logistics.com Tel: 781-229-1565, ext. 281 Email: gfajardo@logistics.com Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See: "TransportationXML (tXML)."