The TCO message channel is an additional interface for communicating with external applications on the basis of a message exchange. The system can generate outgoing TCO messages as well as receive incoming TCO messages. The TCO format was developed in-house and is based on the DTA and SWIFT standards. The system allows TCO messages to be transmitted to and received from external application via customer-specific interfaces (e.g., to service a WebFrontend). As a rule, authentication is not required since the entire exchange of messages takes place within the bank's infrastructure. Different services are used to manage TCO messages (incoming and outgoing).

Note: The options in relation to TCO messages described below are available via the “Message Details panel” (accessed within a transaction via the “Messages” Panel and the icon.

Depending on the relevant current situation, it may be desirable to generate TCO messages during the processing of business transactions, in order to provide the bank's own customers with information about transactions processed. A prerequisite for this is that the customer in question was previously entered in “Maintaining Parties” and defined as a TCO customer.

The “Index of Outgoing Messages” refers to the listing of all outgoing messages per business sector.

Outgoing TCO messages are ready to be sent as soon as the relevant transaction is released. The transmission procedure for sending (handover to TCO interface) is handled by the “Task Manager”.

Incoming messages are accepted by the “Manager for Incoming Messages” from the folder/queue for incoming messages, automatically registered and processed in the 'Incoming Messages' filing tray. It is possible to specify how incoming TCO messages are channeled or routed.

In “Maintaining System Configuration”, there is an option to specify whether TCO messages are to be generated in the standard TCO format or in DTA format, by setting the combo-box “Technical format of TradeConnect messages” in the “Message Parameters” panel accordingly.

• Standard TCO format
  The standard TCO format is based on the SWIFT format and was developed in-house before a format suitable for customer ↔ bank communication based on messages became available in the form of DTA. Messages in TCO format are distinguished by the fact that the message type (MT) used starts with a “T” (e.g., T60 for an application for the issuing of a guarantee). The structure of TCO messages is similar to that of DTA messages, and it also uses A tags (except for the tag :A5:) and M tags. The standard TCO format provides additional message definitions for the business sectors Import and Export Collection, which are not available in the DTA format.
• TCO messages in DTA format
  If the setting for this format is chosen, all TCO messages will be generated in DTA format. In technical terms, there is no difference between these messages and real DTA messages. This ensures that in the tag :A1: the correct value in accordance with the DTA definitions is used, that the tag :A5: will be displayed, and that an 8-digit date format is used where applicable.

Since TCO messages represent a separate message channel within the application and are handled independently of the DTA/DTE/DTG message channel via a separate interface, it is possible for the bank to provide the customer with relevant data over the Internet via a web application run by the bank in-house, for example, in addition to the communication with the customer via DTA (external software installed with the client). Provided this application understands the DTA format, no further modifications in the application will be required, as a rule.