snip

>>
>>>No, it doesn't. Look at BizTalk Server. Look at SOAP. Both are about messaging between incompatable formats. Neither assumes that you'll be starting from scratch. What happens when the supplier is using Baan and the customer is using SAP and they want to electronically exchange purchase order information? EDI is big and ugly. BizTalk and SOAP will make this much easier.
>>
snip
>
>How would you categorize BizTalk? Is it a tool? a solution? IMO, it's both. Keep in mind that .Net is more than just Visual Studio. BizTalk is a .Net server.
>

Craig,

I went to the site(s) you named for me earlier and did NOT see BizTalk as a ".NET server".

Yes, it was under a .NET banner, but that was about it. I read *nothing* that even suggested that it was a ".NET server".

I really think that you are mistaken here and that THERE ARE NO .NET **production** servers or technologies out there for sale and in use already.

JimN