Requirements for Corporate vs. Commercial Developers
There are some differences in how support is provided and in the approvals required to go into production that depend on whether you are creating an application for use by your own company or plan to resell your solution to others.
Requirements and resources for Commerical Developers
Commercial developers create solutions with the intent of distributing/reselling them to their customers. Because they are deployed in a variety of situations, commercial integrations generally require a higher order of "fit and finish." Commercial developers are responsible for supporting their products with their customers. FedEx has a dedicated team of professionals to assist developers commercialize their products and to coordinate the three-way interplay between the developer, the customer, and FedEx.
If you are a commercial developer interested in becoming a FedEx compatible solution provider, click here and find out more.
FedEx Web Services for Shipping FedEx Web Services Requirements and Resources for Corporate Developers and Consultants
Corporate developers are typically part of a dedicated development team at a single company. (This category also includes third party developers (consultants) hired by the company to work on its behalf.) In all cases, the integration will be used by the company itself and won't be resold or distributed outside of its own footprint. In this situation, FedEx is able to support the customer directly.
Requirements for Consultations
Consultants developing on behalf of a corporate customer must ensure that their client provides their account information and a signed End User License Agreement to FedEx in order to obtain production credentials.
Pre-Production Assistance via the FedEx Web Integrated Solutions Consultation Team. If you are in the pre-production stages of implementing a FedEx Web Integrated Solution and would like to speak with a FedEx Integration Consultant, who can assist you in understanding FedEx Web Services, please contact your aligned FedEx Sales Executive, or Technical Support at the number: 1.877.339.2774 Monday-Friday 7am-10pm (CST), Saturday 7am-7pm (CST). Both your FedEx Sales Executive and Technical Support can request a WIS consultant to contact you within 3 business days.
Corporate developers may find that solutions to their needs have already been implemented by a software vendor that is part of the FedEx Compatible solutions Program. If time to market, cost containment or specialized knowledge is needed, Corporate development planners may want to review the available third party solutions. To see a list of the solutions provided by the CSP providers, go to the CSP Site.
What's Involved in Developing a FedEx Web Services for Shipping Implementation? Implementing
The process of integrating an application with FedEx Web Services is the same for all developers. All developers can access documentation, sample code, and WSDL downloads from the Developers Resource Center. In addition, all developers can obtain a Test Meter Number and engage in online testing in the FedEx hosted test environment.
Testing
FedEx supplies a complete online operating environment with which to test your applications against live FedEx servers. In order to execute test interactions, you must first include a Test Account Number, Test Meter Number, and Authentication key in our code. These credentials are readily available to registered developers.
Certification
Certification is the process of determining that your implementation meets a number of requirements for safe, secure, and effective operation of your solution in the FedEx production environment. Certification requirements differ based on whether you are a corporate or Commercial developer, and whether you are implementing using the Advanced or Standard services.
Go To Production
Once an application has passed certification, the developer will replace the Test Meter Number in their code with a Production Meter Number issued by FedEx. The application connection is then directed to the production servers, and the application is now live.
Requirements and Resources
Corporate Developers
Commercial Developers
Must be accepted into the FedEx Compatible Solutions Program (CSP)
No
Yes (Required)
Self certification of implementations using Standard Services
Yes
No
Self certification of implementations using Advanced Services
FedEx Web Services for Office and Print
Development, certification, deployment and support requirements for FedEx Office digital print integrations will vary based on the Web Service implementation model selected and the intended use. In all cases, it is critical that you posses the resources and expertise required to develop, maintain and support your implementation prior to initiating a FedEx Web Services for Office and Print project.
In general, your implementation must meet the following requirements:
Receive certification by FedEx prior to production deployment.
Meet FedEx Web Service for Office and Print licensing requirements.
Comply with FedEx Brand Standards.
Present FedEx Office features and services in a clear and accurate manner.
Function as designed.
What’s Involved in Developing a FedEx Office Integrated Solution?
Developers follow a simple design, code, test, certify and launch software development methodology when integrating a solution with Fedex Web Services for Office and Print. The FedEx Developer Resource Center provides you with documentation, sample code and WSDL downloads to facilitate design and coding.
Additionally, if you are in the pre-production stages of implementing FedEx Web Services for Office and Print and require technical consultation, you may request that a FedEx Office customer technology consultant contact you.
To initiate FedEx Web Services for Office and Print technical consultation, please e-mail us at officewebservices@fedex.com with a detailed description of your issue(s) along with return contact information. A FedEx Office customer technology consultant will contact you within three business days. Alternatively, you may advise your FedEx Office Sales executive of your need for Web Services consultation and they will be glad to initiate the request for technical consultation on your behalf.
Testing
Developers of FedEx Web Services for Office and Print solutions are provided, upon request, with "test" credentials to facilitate code development, evaluation of available services, and pre-certification preparation.
Certification
Once you have completed the design, development and testing of your project, you must certify your application with FedEx. Certification is the process of determining if your implementation meets a number of requirements to achieve the safe, secure and effective operation of your solution in the FedEx production environment.
Move to Production
Once the FedEx Web Services for Office and Print team has successfully certified your implementation, you will be provided with production credentials and deployment of your solution will be approved.
FedEx Ship Manager Server
Requirements for FSM Server implementation for corporate developers:
Before you start your FSMS integration, contact your FedEx Account Executive to get:
A valid FedEx account number
FedEx Ship Manager Software
What's Involved in Developing a FedEx Ship Manager Server Implementation? Implementation
Once you install FSMS software, you are ready to begin coding your application. The information you need to code FSMS modules like shipping, rating, and routing are provided in the FSMS documentation (link). If you need additional implementation assistance, contact an FSMS support representative in your region. For technical support, call 1.877.339.2774 and state "FedEx Ship Manager Server" at the voice prompt. Support hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (CST), Monday thru Friday, and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Test
As you integrate FSMS into your shipping application, you will want to test transactions to verify operability. FedEx provides an online test application called Validation Powership Service (VPS) that allows you to test all FSMS transaction types. To use VPS, contact your FedEx Customer Integration Consultant (CIC) to provide a test meter number and a VPS log-in.
Certification Requirements for Corporate Developers
Once you have completed coding your implementation of FSMS, you will need to follow these steps: Contact your CIC for a software review: Your CIC will do some initial tests and ensure that you are ready to move to the FedEx production environment with your implementation.
Provide sample labels to your CIC for approval. Your CIC will send sample labels from your implementation to FedEx for tests to ensure that your labels scan correctly.
After your implementation has been approved, you are ready to move to the FedEx production environment.
