# Value Added Network (VAN)

*Last updated: 2026-06-26*

> Unlike public internet connections, a Value Added Network (VAN) provides private, managed communication infrastructure over which companies exchange electronic business documents in standardised EDI formats.

Unlike public internet connections, a Value Added Network (VAN) provides private, managed communication infrastructure over which companies exchange electronic business documents in standardised EDI formats. The VAN provider acts as an intermediary: it receives messages, translates between EDI standards such as EDIFACT and ANSI X12, manages transmission protocols, and maintains an auditable message history. Shippers, freight forwarders, and retailers rely on VANs to exchange purchase orders, advance ship notices, and invoices with multiple trading partners simultaneously, without configuring each connection individually. Compared to direct point-to-point links, a VAN improves resilience and greatly simplifies the onboarding of new partners. With the spread of web-based EDI and API integrations, traditional VANs have increasingly been supplemented or replaced by cloud-based platforms.

**Source:** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_network)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Value Added Network (VAN) |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 118 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-26 |
| Source | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_network |

---

*Logistics Glossary — Freight Academy: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/value-added-network-van](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/value-added-network-van)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/value-added-network-van](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/value-added-network-van)*

*JSON summary: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/value-added-network-van/llm-summary?lang=en](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/value-added-network-van/llm-summary?lang=en)*