Cost-effective AS2 software for B2B file transfers

AS2 is a proven way to exchange business documents securely, but the cost of an AS2 product can grow quickly when pricing depends on trading partners, messages, or recurring subscriptions. SFTPPlus MFT offers a simpler model: a perpetual licence with unlimited AS2 partner profiles and AS2 messages.

You can use SFTPPlus for a direct connection with one trading partner or as the managed file transfer layer for a complex EDI network. The same installation can also bridge AS2 with SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, REST APIs, email, local storage, and cloud services.

Pay for the AS2 direction you need ​

Not every AS2 workflow needs to send and receive files. A supplier might only send invoices to a customer, while another organization might only receive orders from its trading partners.

SFTPPlus licences these directions separately:

• An SFTPPlus MFT Server licence receives AS2 messages.
• An SFTPPlus MFT Client licence sends AS2 messages.
• Both licences can be combined when files need to move in both directions.

If your workflow only sends or only receives AS2 files, you can license just that capability. Compared with licensing both directions, this can reduce the SFTPPlus product licence cost by half. You can add the other direction later if your requirements change.

Perpetual licensing without per-partner or per-message fees ​

The SFTPPlus product licence is perpetual. It is a one-time purchase rather than a recurring monthly or yearly product subscription. Optional support and maintenance are available separately.

The licence does not impose a limit on the number of:

• AS2 trading partner profiles.
• AS2 messages or transferred files.
• Concurrent users or connections.
• File transfers or file sizes.

This makes costs predictable when transaction volumes increase or new trading partners are added. There is no need to buy another partner pack or move to a higher message tier. See the SFTPPlus pricing and licence details for the current licence options and included non-production environments.

Drummond Certified AS2 interoperability ​

Lower cost should not require a proprietary or incomplete AS2 implementation. SFTPPlus is Drummond Certified for AS2, following interoperability testing with other commercial AS2 products.

SFTPPlus supports the AS2 features expected for B2B exchanges:

• HTTPS or HTTP transport.
• Message encryption and digital signatures.
• Payload compression.
• Synchronous and asynchronous Message Disposition Notification (MDN) receipts.
• Separate certificates and identifiers for each trading partner.
• Certificate rollover without interrupting partner transfers.
• A detailed audit trail for messages, security settings, and MDN results.

The certification and standards-based implementation let SFTPPlus exchange messages with other compliant AS2 systems without requiring the same software at both ends.

From a simple AS2 connection to complex EDI exchanges ​

For a simple peer-to-peer transfer, SFTPPlus can receive a file from one AS2 partner or monitor a folder and send files to that partner. Configuration is managed through the web interface, so no custom AS2 application is required.

For a larger EDI environment, each trading partner can have its own AS2 identifiers, certificates, endpoint, authentication settings, folders, and automation rules. SFTPPlus handles the secure delivery of purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and other files, while your EDI or ERP application remains responsible for interpreting their business content.

The same automation engine can route files according to the partner, file name, path, or other transfer details. Retries, notifications, and audit events are managed centrally alongside transfers using other protocols.

Use SFTPPlus as an AS2 gateway ​

Your internal applications do not need native AS2 support. SFTPPlus can act as a gateway between the protocol required by a trading partner and the protocol or storage already used inside your organization.

For inbound workflows, SFTPPlus can:

1. Receive, validate, decrypt, and acknowledge an AS2 message.
2. Store or route the payload according to the trading partner.
3. Make the file available through SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, a REST API, email, local storage, or a supported cloud destination.
4. Notify an ERP workflow through an HTTP webhook.

For outbound workflows, SFTPPlus can collect a file from those systems, sign and encrypt it as an AS2 message, send it to the partner, and validate the returned MDN receipt.

This gateway approach lets users and applications keep their existing interfaces. SFTPPlus handles the AS2 certificates, packaging, delivery, receipts, retries, and audit records.

Connect AS2 transfers with SAP, Workday, and other ERP tools ​

Files received over AS2 can be forwarded for processing by SAP, Workday, or another ERP platform. Depending on the ERP integration, SFTPPlus can place the file in an accessible folder, deliver it over a supported protocol, or send an HTTP webhook that tells the ERP workflow a file is ready.

The reverse flow works in the same way. An ERP system can create a file in a folder or endpoint monitored by SFTPPlus, which then sends the file to the appropriate AS2 partner. This keeps AS2 configuration outside the ERP system and avoids custom AS2 development in each business application.

Evaluate AS2 with your trading partners ​

SFTPPlus can be installed on Linux, Windows, macOS, containers, and major cloud platforms. The evaluation version can be tested with your own partner identifiers, certificates, payloads, and MDN requirements before purchasing a licence.

Request a supported SFTPPlus evaluation or contact the SFTPPlus team to discuss an AS2 send-only, receive-only, or bidirectional deployment.