Difference between ale and edi

Question

Hi experts,
I know this topic was discussed in the forum lot of times. i want to clarify one thing here.
1) can EDI be used to transfer the between tow SAP systems.
2) can ALE be used to transfer data between SAP and non SAP system.
if the answer to the questions is yes then is there any case where we can not use ALE in place of EDI and vice versa.
Also, in what situation we use the BAPI- ALE interface to distribute the data??
thanks
sankar

Answer 1

EDI, stands for Electronic Data Interchange, is the electronic exchange of structured business data between different applications.  The EDI architecture consists of
EDI-enabled applications :They support the automatic processing of business transactions.
The IDoc interface: This was designed as an open interface. The IDoc interface consists of IDoc types and function modules that form the interface to the application.
The EDI subsystem: This converts the IDoc types into EDI message types and vice versa.  This component of the EDI architecture is not supplied by SAP.
Advantages of the EDI Process
Reduced data Entry Errors
Reduced Processing cycle time
Availability of data electronic form
Reduced Paper Work
Reduced Cost
Reduced Inventories and Better Planning
Standard Means of Communicating
Better Business Processes
Competitive Advantage
ALE
PURPOSE
     ALE supports the distribution of the business functions and process across loosely coupled R/3 systems. Connections from   R/2  and non SAP systems is also supported.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
     Distributing business applications and at the same time ensuring data consistency is practical because:
The increasing globalization of markets has led to the physical division of organizational units.
Business processes are not restricted to one organization only and an increasing number of customers and vendors are involved.
The performance of an R/3 System can be improved by distributing the business applications.
Features
ALE supports:
Distribution of applications between different releases of R/3 Systems
Continued data exchange after a release upgrade without requiring special maintenance
Customer-specific extensions.
Communication interfaces that allow connections to non-SAP systems.
Coupling of R/3 and R/2 Systems.
     ALE has functions for controlling messages flows (Audit) and for eliminating malfunctions.
Differences between the two:
ALE is used to support distributed yet integrated processes across several SAP systems whereas EDI is used for the exchange of business documents between the systems of business partners
ALE is SAPu2019s technology for supporting a distributed environment whereas EDI is a process used for exchange of business documents which now have been given a standard format
     Both ALE and EDI require data exchange. An Idoc is a data container which is used for data exchange by both EDI and ALE processes.