Many EDI delivery models exist. The right choice depends on control, skill depth, partner diversity, and how EDI fits alongside APIs and cloud applications.
On-premise EDI software
Organizations run their own gateway infrastructure and team for mapping, onboarding, formats, and support. Typical capabilities include transformation tooling, VAN and direct protocols (e.g. AS2), MFT/SFTP, and ERP adapters.
Pros: Maximum control inside your data center.
Cons: Skill and capacity elasticity; cost of maintaining multiple overlapping B2B tools; large “keep the lights on” spend that crowds out innovation budgets.
Outlook: Sales of traditional on-premise EDI and classic VAN-centric models have declined as managed cloud and iPaaS options mature.
B2B managed services
Also called EDI managed service, outsourced EDI, or integration brokerage: the provider operates EDI technology and supplies onboarding and steady-state support (people + process).
Pros: Outsourced complexity; elastic skills; business agility without growing internal EDI headcount.
Cons: Not every provider covers all requirements — due diligence matters; some models limit self-service; demand transparent pricing for run-state and changes.
Outlook: Growing for decades. Distinguish “pure play” EDI brokers from iPaaS vendors with managed services — the former may lack broader integration patterns (API, cloud, IoT), forcing second platforms.
Enterprise iPaaS (+ self or managed service)
Gartner-style enterprise iPaaS supports cloud-to-ground integration with HA/DR, security, SLAs, and vendor support. Many vendors embed EDI/B2B plus optional managed services for mapping and onboarding.
Pros: One platform for diverse endpoints; SaaS operations (upgrades included); optional services to flex with demand; often best TCO when EDI is part of a wider integration estate.
Cons: Still evaluate vendor coverage and pricing clarity for steady-state and change.
Outlook: Fast growth as enterprises consolidate integration onto cloud-native platforms with flexible service options.
Multi-enterprise business networks
Networks provide community-oriented process execution and embedded connectivity — often with a canonical model mapping partners, tenants, and network applications.
Pros: Places EDI flows in a business-process context with visibility and exceptions for supported scenarios.
Cons: Generally not a full enterprise EDI replacement — coverage may stop at the network’s process scope; other EDI (e.g. benefits enrollment, lockbox) may still need a separate stack; process-centric licensing can be costly.
Outlook: Valuable when the business genuinely runs on that networked process; rarely sufficient as the only integration platform for the whole enterprise.