Interchange

A transfer of information from one computer to another electronically. In business this typically refers to a Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which is a system used to communicate business and financial transactions between parties. EDI usually takes the form of direct transactions between computers, databases and order systems.

The development of the internet gave EDI a real shot in the arm. Nevertheless, many EDI transactions use XML format instead of traditional EDI data formats such as X12 or EDIFACT. These transaction are sent via web using standard http protocol. Interchange can also refer to a web application server for e-commerce which is used to build customized e-commerce solutions.