GAITHERSBURG, Md. – August 5, 2004—Global eXchange Services (GXS) today announced successful completion of the “GDSN Data Pool Conformance and Interoperability” Beta Program. GXS received official notification on July 31, 2004 from the Drummond Group, the interoperability and conformance testing standards-body responsible for certifying Data Pool solutions providers. As part of the Beta Program, GXS' Global Product Catalogue Data Pool was used to demonstrate successful registration of supplier catalog items with the new GS1 Global Registry™. The Beta Program involved registering items with the new GS1 Global Registry™ and receiving responses that items were successfully registered.

Through the GXS' Global Product Catalogue Data Pool, GXS also demonstrated successful interoperability with other industry data pools, including UCCnet and the WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE). The interoperability successfully tested sending supplier catalog item notifications to UCCnet and catalog item notifications to WWRE.

In addition to its own global data pool service operated to support the United States retail community, GXS offers data pool technology and services for several industry leading GS1 (EAN) member organizations operating data pools across the globe, such as ECCnet in Canada, EAN Australia, EAN New Zealand, e.centre (EAN UK) in the United Kingdom and KorEANet in Korea. Global interoperability within the GDSN (Global Data Synchronization Network) serves as a key enabler to the synchronized exchange of product information between trading partners across the world and without artificial borders.

“Completing the interoperability Beta Program for GDSN is a critical step toward realizing the vision of a real-time, dynamic supply-chain in retail. The ability to ensure accurate and timely synchronized product information is paramount to fulfill ambitions for enabling advanced business processes, such as RFID,” said Bobby Patrick, GXS senior vice president of marketing. “Our customers expect global interoperability to support their business goals, and the success of this beta program signals our continued commitment to be a leader in data synchronization.”

“I am delighted that GXS was so closely involved in this first ever test of the GDSN principles conducted on behalf of the industry,” said Steve Coussins, chief executive officer of e.centre. “The fact that GXS was fully able to demonstrate their compliance totally supports our decision to adopt their solution and launch one of the worlds first GDSN National Data Pools for our UK members.”
GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organizations worldwide, including 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage the GXS Trading Grid to achieve the perfect balance of supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronies product information, optimize inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information visit our Web site at www.gxs.com.