VAN
full spelling ： Value Added Network
Value Added Network is a third party network that is hired by a company to facilitate electronic data interchange (EDI) or provide other network services such as encryption, secure e-mail, management reporting, and other extra services. VAN traditionally transmitted data formatted as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) but increasingly it also transmits data formatted as XML.
Modern Value-Added Networks are also referred to as trading grids. The Value Added Networks not only receive, store and forward messages but also provides value-added services, such as administration services, interconnection and interoperation with other services, and data security.