System for business suite and network integration

1. A system comprising:

a computer processor and a computer storage device configured with:

a suite of business applications; and

an add-on processor coupled to the suite of business applications;

wherein the add-on processor is configured with Commerce eXtensible Markup Language (cXML) and is operable to enable the suite of business applications to communicate with a network using cXML and a direct web service call to the network;

wherein the network is configured to operate using cXML;

wherein the direct web service call uses no middleware between the suite of business applications and the network; and

wherein the computer processor is operable to receive a message from the network so that the business applications do not involuntarily receive data from the network, thereby avoiding a security risk normally handled by middleware, wherein the polling from the network comprises:

opening a connection to the network from a business application in the suite of business applications:

retrieving the message from the network; and

closing the connection.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a business commerce network.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the suite of business applications comprises enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, transportation management (TM) applications, and supplier relationship management (SRM) applications.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications between a business application in the suite of business applications and the network are encrypted.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the add-on processor is configured to receive data from a business application in the suite of business applications and convert the data to a cXML format; and transmit the converted data to the network via the direct web service call.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the message retrieved from the network comprises a cXML message.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the add-on processor is configured to:

receive data in a cXML format from the network;

identify a business application in the suite of business applications to which the data is to be transmitted;

convert the cXML formatted data from the network into the format of the business application; and

transmit the converted data to the business application.

8. A process comprising:

maintaining a suite of business applications in a computer system;

maintaining an add-on processor that is coupled to the suite of business applications; and

transmitting data from the suite of business applications to a network via the add-on processor and a direct web service call using Commerce eXtensible Markup Language (cXML);

wherein the network is configured to operate using cXML;

wherein the direct web service call uses no middleware between the suite of business applications and the network; and

receiving a message from the network by polling the network, so that the business applications do not involuntarily receive data from the network, thereby avoiding a security risk normally handled by middleware, wherein the polling from the network comprises:

opening a connection to the network from a business application in the suite of business applications;

retrieving the message from the network; and

closing the connection.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the network comprises a business commerce network.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the suite of business applications comprises enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, transportation management (TM) applications, and supplier relationship management (SRM) applications.

11. The process of claim 8 , wherein the communications between a business application in the suite of business applications and the network are encrypted.

12. The process of claim 8 , comprising receiving into the add-on processor data from a business application in the suite of business applications and converting the data to a cXML format; and transmitting the converted data to the network via the direct web service call.

13. The process of claim 8 , wherein the message retrieved from the network comprises a cXML message.

14. The process of claim 8 , comprising:

receiving data into the add-on processor module in a cXML format from the network;

identifying a business application in the suite of business applications to which the data is to be transmitted;

converting the cXML formatted data from the network into the for of the business application; and

transmitting the converted data to the business application.

15. A memory device, the memory device communicatively coupled to a processor and comprising instructions which, when performed on the processor, cause the processor to:

maintain a suite of business applications in a computer system;

maintain an add-on processor that is coupled to the suite of business applications; and

transmit data from the suite of business applications to a network via the add-on processor and a direct web service call using Commerce eXtensible Markup Language (cXML);

wherein the network is configured to operate using cXML;

wherein the direct web service call uses no middleware between the suite of business applications and the network; and

wherein the computer processor is operable to receive a message from the network by polling the network, so that the business applications do not involuntarily receive data from the network, thereby avoiding a security risk normally handled by middleware, wherein the polling from the network comprises:

opening a connection to the network from a business application in the suite of business applications;

retrieving the message from the network; and

closing the connection.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , comprising instructions to receive into the add-on processor data from a business application in the suite of business applications and convert the data to a cXCL format; and transmit the converted data to the network via the direct web service call.

17. The memory device of claim 15 , comprising instructions to:

receive data into the add-on processor in a cXML format from the network;

identify a business application in the suite of business applications to which the data is to be transmitted;

convert the cXML, formatted data from the network into the format of the business application; and

transmit the converted data to the business application.