The data can't leave your network
If your security policy or a regulatory requirement means the data must never leave your network, a cloud platform isn't the answer — or it is only with an on-premise component.
Comparison
Modern SaaS vs. traditional EDI.
You're not picking a piece of software: you're picking who gets the call when the feed goes down at 2am on a Friday. This table compares categories — a SaaS integration platform against traditional on-premise EDI — so you can decide on evidence instead of brochures.
The risk isn't overpaying. It's discovering mid-audit that nobody knows what happened to that document.
Traditional EDI works — it has worked for decades — but it was designed for an era of in-house servers, maintenance windows and consultants billed by the hour. What changed isn't the standard: it's what it costs to operate and how long it takes to answer you when something breaks.
Cara a cara
Los mismos estándares. Otro modo de operarlos.
Comparamos categorías de solución, no productos de terceros. Cada fila describe lo que suele ocurrir en una implantación típica de cada modelo.
| Criterion | SaaS integration platform (Kontext) | Traditional on-premise EDI |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first document in production | 48–72 h for a standard flow with an already-mapped partner. | Weeks or months: license purchase, server provisioning, installation, mapping and partner testing. |
| Infrastructure required | None on your side. The platform runs in the cloud; you open one connection to your ERP. | On-site server (or dedicated VM), database, backups, certificates and maintenance windows, all on you. |
| Code needed for a map | Declarative low-code mapping: you define how fields correspond, not a custom program. | Proprietary scripts or custom development, usually by an outside consultant with tool-specific knowledge. |
| Retries when a partner fails | Automatic, with backoff. The document requeues itself and every attempt is logged. | Depends on configuration; in many installs the retry is manual and starts when someone notices the error. |
| Operational visibility | Real-time dashboard: status by document, by partner and by flow, visible to the business — not just to IT. | Logs on the server. To find out what happened to an order, you ask whoever has access. |
| Traceability and audit | Immutable per-document history with signed, timestamped AS2 receipts, retained for 7 years. | Traceable if the logs rotated properly and nobody touched the server. The evidence depends on operational discipline. |
| Pricing model | Usage-based: you pay for the integration that actually runs. Cost scales with your operation. | Annual license + maintenance + consulting hours, whether documents move that month or not. |
| Standards supported | X12, EDIFACT, AS2 and GS1 (GTIN/SSCC) included, plus JSON/CSV/API and structured PDF for partners with no EDI. | X12, EDIFACT and AS2 solid and mature; modern formats (API, JSON, webhooks) usually need a separate module or development. |
| Onboarding a new trading partner | You start from an existing map and adjust the differences; the partner installs nothing. | A small project in itself: mapping, certification and testing coordinated between both technical teams. |
| Updates and patches | Continuous, with no maintenance window on your side. | Planned major versions, with regression testing across your existing maps. |
| Dependence on key people | Maps are declarative and readable: anyone on your team can read them. | The knowledge usually lives in the head of whoever installed it years ago. |
Sin letra pequeña
Where traditional EDI still has a point
If a comparison only gives you reasons to switch, it isn't a comparison — it's an ad. These are the cases where staying put is the right call.
It's already paid for and it doesn't break
A stable install with few partners and no growth plans rarely justifies a migration. The best link is the one you forget exists.
Extreme customization
If your maps carry very particular business logic accumulated over years, migrating means documenting it first. That's real work and it has to be budgeted.
Intermittent connectivity
Plants or warehouses on an unstable link need local buffering. It's solvable, but it's an architecture conversation, not a checklist item.
How to read this table without fooling yourself
Don't compare features: compare what happens the day something fails. Who finds out first? How soon does it retry? What evidence is left behind? If all three answers in your current setup depend on a person being awake, you already know what you're buying when you pay the renewal.
Want this comparison applied to your operation?
Tell us which partners and formats you work with today. We'll tell you honestly whether migrating makes sense for you or not.
Let's talk →