[Xitami] What is STEP?

[Ervin Kosch]

This maybe offtopic but does anyone know what Imatix's STEP program do?  
Is it a VPN software?  Does it just do HTTPS requests to exchange 
information?  Is it something completely different?

-------Cut and Paste from IMatix's website:-------

    STEP creates secure communications channels between applications 
running anywhere, on any networks. Classic message queuing software is 
expensive, complex, and fragile. We built STEP for a rough world. Our 
customers consistently choose STEP to link front-end to back-end 
systems, to build their business networks, and to exchange data with 
their partners.

    · Easy to interface with SAP and other ERP systems.
    · XML-compatible for e-commerce applications.
    · Uses an extensible framework for custom middleware applications.
    · Strong encryption keeps your data confidential and tamper-proof.
    · Portable to all your platforms: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS/390, and 
more.
    · Based on open security standards - RSA, OpenSSL, and more.


    Strategy:   

    Use public and private Internet links to create the fastest possible 
data exchange channel between two or more applications.
    Fact:
    
    STEP requires no public-facing web servers - STEP applications 
remain fully protected behind your company firewall.        
    STEP's security model is configurable, extensible, and based on open 
security standards.        
    A typical STEP application: an electronic payments system for one of 
our customers in Africa.