EDI over the Internet

As many of you know, use of EDI is gaining rapid acceptance in the
implementation of retail electric competition with at least 11 states
using, planning to use, or considering using it (MA, RI, ME, CT, PA, NJ,
CA, NY, NV, NH, and AZ). EDI has traditionally been done over Value Added
Networks (VANs). Many folks are advocating use of the Internet, because the
Internet is much less costly and is now sufficiently reliable and secure.
(As one example, Forrester Research estimates 1998 Internet commerce will
reach $20 billion.) In fact, a major portion of all electricity and natural
gas transactions are already conducted using the Internet: 1) electricity
transmission reservation via OASIS (FERC's Open Access Same-time
Information System) and 2) natural gas scheduling, accounting and trading
via the Internet using the GISB (Gas Industry Standards Board) standards.
(These GISB standards are the foundation of the electric industry standards
being completed by the UIG - Utility Industry Group.)

I thought you might find of interest the following quotation from the
report of the Commercial Practices and OASIS How Working Groups filed with
the FERC in October 1997:

"As one of the first large-scale uses of the public Internet for
business-to-business commerce across North America, OASIS is a significant
technological achievement. OASIS was developed on an accelerated
schedule... The choice of the Internet has minimized access barriers for
customers and facilitated rapid development and deployment by providers.
OASIS was designed through an open, consensus-based process with
representation from both users and providers."

Chris King
CellNet Data Systems, Inc.


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