Sander,
Conversely the reverse is true - the intermediary may merely be responsible for delivery - but guarantees that it will NOT in anyway tamper or inspect with the payload contents.
Signing and confirming content can also be implemented with ebXML payload handling features used by the originator of the message - and then confirmed by the partner upon receipt of the message.
I think the use case here of intermediaries is mostly for internet proxy delivery - similar to what occurs with email SMTP delivery today. E.g. the sender does not have direct connection to the final receipient.
A use case may be mobile user - say an insurance agent - using mobile device to send quotation requests from a customers house to selection of central insurance company systems via the wireless provider. The provider is responsible for delivery to the multiple other systems after initial receipt from the mobile device.
Another example - a co-operative in Vietnam that produces silk goods for a fashion house in New York. They have a limited wireless link from a laptop in their village that dials into their local cellular provider two or three times a week and sends in order confirmation, order completion / delivery pickup requests.
Another case may be farmers cooperative in South America - using a dial-up land-line connection to send produce availability reports to city distributor system, who then routes those to super marketchain.
DW
"The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)
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