An in-house application or an application from a software supplier. This is a choice.
AS2
Applicability Statement 2 - AS2 is similar to HTTP(S), which is how your internet browser works. Secure communication is guaranteed through the use of security certificates. Communication via AS2 is real time.
Output formats: only GS1 GDSN XML. Media is received via a url in the message and you then retrieve the media file yourself.
If you choose to receive the data via an AS2 connection, you will receive an e-mail from GS1 with a form in which you can enter your AS2 data. GS1 will then contact you to arrange the connection. The communication details for AS2 can be found in the technical information.
FTPS
Secure File Transfer Protocol SSL- The XML article messages are exchanged via a secure FTP connection. This is comparable to consulting secure internet pages. You decide how often you check the FTP server for new files. Media is sent via an URL in the message.
Output formats: GS1 GDSN XML and media (tiff, jpg, pdf, etc.).
Do you want to receive the product data via FTPS? Then you need FTPS software, for example Filezilla. The communication data for FTPS can be found in the technical information.
API
Application Programming Interface - An API allows the data buyer to request selected data and data modules from its suppliers from the GS1 data pool via a 'request'.
Output formats: JSON and media (tiff, jpg, pdf, etc.).
In order to exchange data between the GS1 data pool and your internal systems, an API link is required. This is software that allows systems to talk to each other. The details for making an API connection can be found in the technical information.
Pros and cons
You determine the communication protocol yourself. By default, API is selected, so you can change it yourself. You can include the following in your choice:
| Pros | Cons | |
| AS2 | AS2 works on a 'push' principle in real time so that there are hardly any delays. As soon as XML messages are available, they are forwarded to your system, which is continuously ready to receive them. | Setting up an AS2 connection is somewhat more complicated, partly because security certificates have to be installed and the necessary parameters set. This generally involves costs. |
| FTPS | FTPS is easy to use and there is a lot of software available that supports it. | It may be that it does not work in real time. This means that you must periodically (e.g. every x minutes) check the FTPS server for new data. |
| API |
The advantage of API compared to AS2 and FTPS is that it works according to the 'pull' principle. With a 'request' you request product information per article (GTIN), data module and/or per article hierarchy. With AS2 and FTPS you receive all data of new and changed articles of the entire article hierarchy of the suppliers you have subscribed to. With API you can therefore receive more 'customised' data. |