The transition from EDI to web based portals has been a trend in the ongoing integration of business systems with suppliers. The challenge companies face is that EDI has worked well, and offers a standard platform for conducting transactions. On the other hand, portals are often preferred by buyers, and they are often asking their suppliers to use their portal rather than EDI. This means that suppliers can be in the position of being required to support numerous portals, which can be cumbersome and expensive. While they often tend to be XML based, this does not really solve the standards problem. It's a problem that's not going to go away. How to Keep the Web from Becoming a Trap - Editorial - CIO