Tech Bytes: Letter-of-Credit System Offered for the Internet

Electronic Documents International Corp. has released an Internet product that enables a bank's trade customers to apply for letters of credit electronically.

The system, called Import.com, is the company's first Internet product. Electronic Documents International is a newly formed spinoff of CSI Complex Systems Inc., a New York-based developer of trade finance products for banks.

Andrew Cardinale, managing director of the new company, said its product "allows a bank to essentially put on their Internet home page an application for a letter of credit."

Using a Netscape browser to read their bank's Web site, customers can either apply for new letters of credit or amend existing ones, Mr. Cardinale said.

In contrast with some programs that allow trade customers to apply for import, standby, and other documentary products electronically, the new offering does not require the customers themselves to load additional bank software.

"With our product, the bank doesn't have to put any software anywhere except on their own Internet server," Mr. Cardinale said.

- Compiled by Matt Barthel and Jennifer Kingson Bloom

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