Electronic Commerce ALliance for Global Business Activity (ECALGA) is a collective name for next-generation EC standards. JEITA/EC Center is promoting the standardization and practical application of these standards. The concept behind ECALGA is “a business standard that overcomes all barriers, globally and seamlessly connects all business processes, and enables a dynamic business development”.

The target range of the conventional EDI, the standardization of which has been promoted by the JEITA/EC Center since 1987, is expanding from business transactions, such as orders, deliver, accounts payable, and payment, to product specifications information, environment information, sample information, and other information that are further upstream. At the same time, the demand is rising for standardization that reliably supports the promotion of business-to-business collaborations by computerizing and making seamless adjustment operations, such as requirements/provision plans/reservations, etc. in the already existing EDI field, as well.

ECALGA is the next-generation EC standard meeting these needs. Therefore, EALGA encompasses ECALS (Standard for retrieving catalogue information) and conventional EDI.