It is not clear whether the SMTP level should be responsible for tracking this function. The group will address it in a subsequent paper, which will examine standards for real-time EDI over the Web. But several areas, such as certificate revocation, still must be addressed before the standards become completely interoperable. It's fairly clear how to request, send and issue certificates. However, major issues still are not resolved in terms of how to revoke an existing certificate.
Revocation is needed, for instance, when a senior manager with purchasing authority quits.
Electronic commerce experts say they believe that these requirements must be addressed before we can conduct secure EDI transactions over the Internet. Interestingly enough, there are four exist ing standards that offer solutions to these requirements. Our editors challenged network storage vendors and service providers to devise fault-tolerant storage solutions for two fictitious companies. At the Shoot Out, see the vendors face off with their solutions. Get new dates and more information or Register online.