A salesman for EDI once said that he was giving away Free EDI software. Because this took place on an Internet forum, many of the posters were skeptical. At least one poster accused the salesman of having the intelligence of Rainman title character. The salesman did, as it turns out, work for a company that offers such services. A business who wants to keep its business to business services up to date. Hosted EDI services can keep the organization's data up-date. EDI takes more than just a hosting service. The purpose of the system is to make sure that the exchange of information can take place without any human intervention. The system has been extremely useful for investors in the stocks and commodities market. The National Institute of Standards and Technology implemented the first protocols to help standardize the process in the 1990s. The format determines how documents, spreadsheets and other information get transferred between two different computers. Amosoft EDI works well when it is implemented between a retailer and the supplier. The supplier in the chain can learn when a retailer is low on a certain item. The supplier can send an item as soon as the EDI system indicates that the retailer needs it. The example used in the previous paragraph has been used by retail warehouses for many years. EDI goes far beyond just the exchange of inventory data. It can also help with sales data and the synchronization of point of sales systems. The EDI systems work well both within an organization and between organizations. EDI systems can provide valuable data to outsourcing firms as well. A business needs to integrate B2B systems in a way that maximizes efficiency. The instantaneous transfer of data is just one of the many ways a person can save time.