Definition


VAN stands for Value Added Network. A VAN is a company that provides communication, services, and electronic mailboxing services for EDI transmissions. They are very similar to the way large scale electronic messaging systems work.

You can think of EDI as a replacement for paper documents delivered by mail or FAX. In this same vein, VANs typically replace services that are provided by the post office.

Most VANs came from the world of timesharing computer systems.