EDI Transmission Protocols
Summary of the main transport protocols used in EDI communication, including AS2, OFTP2, SFTP and VAN.
AS2 — Applicability Statement 2
AS2 is one of the most widely used protocols in modern EDI, especially in retail and healthcare. It runs over HTTP/HTTPS with encryption and digital signatures.
- Encryption — S/MIME digital certificates
- MDN receipts — Automatic delivery confirmation
- Non-repudiation — Irrefutable delivery proof
OFTP2 — ODETTE File Transfer Protocol 2
OFTP2 is the preferred protocol for the European automotive and manufacturing sector. VW Group, BMW, Mercedes and Stellantis mandate OFTP2 for their suppliers.
SFTP — Secure File Transfer Protocol
SSH-based secure batch file transfer — simple to implement and firewall-friendly.
API — Application Programming Interface
REST/JSON-based real-time B2B data exchange — increasingly complementing traditional EDI.
VAN — Value-Added Network
Third-party intermediary network that routes, stores and delivers EDI messages between trading partners.