[ic] Ideas on Integrating Shipping

[Jon]

    Bottom line I'd like to integrate FedEx APIs with IC.
Unless someone says that's a bad idea to even think of.

The physical situation is Web server (IC) is in one location and
printers, etc. are in another physical location (i.e. different
machines).
So, unless I'm wrong, this means I need to take one of two approaches:
Run code on a local Linux box to communicate with the IC server to
send/receive  data (transaction and tracking info),  FedEx also to
send/receive data (ship info and label image) and be physically
connected
to local printers. Or develop a browser based solution that in essence
runs
from the IC server which has direct access to IC data, again communicate

with FedEx, and would then require something like a Java applet to
access
the local printer.  Any other possibilities someone can think of ? Or
better
yet anyone else that has already been down these paths with say either
UPS or FexEx can shed some light on their experiences.

    I would think the approach would dictate what mechanisms and/or
what language (perl, java, SOAP, etc.) would be most appropriate.
Appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or thoughts on how to approach
this.


Jon