Obtaining a real (non third party) merchant account for business is usually the best and most professional option to add credit card processing functionality to website shopping carts. A Merchant account is a special account that you have with a financial institution in order to accept credit cards. Even if you already accept credit cards for your offline transactions, that may not be enough. Credit card companies consider Internet transactions to be riskier than other standard transactions; so, not all accounts permit Internet transactions. If your current account does not allow Internet transactions, you have to contact your financial institution to correct this.

There are many brokers available who can open a Merchant account for you. Their conditions for opening an account may vary. Most brokers who open Merchant accounts offer software or hardware to process credit cards. If you want to accept credit cards over the Internet, you need a software solution, not a hardware solution.

When you buy a merchant account and software for online credit card processing, you get the following:

* Your own real online merchant account to accept Visa and MasterCard
* Ordering process is conducted on your site, your visitors never leave your site to pay for their purchase
* Your company name appears on customers monthly credit card statements
* Automatic Real-Time processing
* Secure virtual terminal for phone, fax & mail orders (applies to mail or phone order merchants) – manually type credit card information in a web browser; can be used anywhere… your office, a client’s office, laptop, anywhere with Internet access.  Either gateway’s virtual terminal make an excellent mobile processing solution, too.
* Secure transactions – Cardholder data is protected with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology

After you have your Secure Server running, you need the software to display order forms, store orders etc.

Servebase global credit card processing solutions make it easy to process payments with user friendly, Internet and online merchant accounts, backed by top-notch payment gateways. Servebase Global Card Solutions provide reliable, flexible and competitively priced credit card payment and online payment processing solutions for clients from a wide range of business sectors worldwide. Servebase place the highest importance on understanding the individual requirements of our clients and, as well as ‘off-the-shelf’ payment services. With over 20 years’ experience, they are always developing payment solutions and professional services which respond to the marketplace.

Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a winter storm hazard:

Freezing Rain

Rain that freezes when it hits the ground, creating a coating of ice on roads, walkways, trees, and power lines.

Sleet

Rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes moisture on roads to freeze and become slippery.

Winter Storm Watch

A winter storm is possible in your area. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for more information.

Winter Storm Warning

A winter storm is occurring or will soon occur in your area.

Blizzard Warning

Sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 miles per hour or greater and considerable amounts of falling or blowing snow (reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile) are expected to prevail for a period of three hours or longer.

Frost/Freeze Warning

Below freezing temperatures are expected.

Have survival kits and emergency supplies on hand at home:

Flashlight and extra batteries

* Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries
* First aid kit and manual
* Emergency food and water – at least a three day supply of water and non-perishable food for each person in your household
* Manual can opener
* Essential medicines
* Cash and credit cards
* Important family documents and veterinary records
* At least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person. (Include sturdy shoes and work boots, warm coat and hat, gloves or mittens, rain gear, thermal underwear, blankets or sleeping bag)
* Extra blankets and warm clothing
* Non-clumping kitty litter to generate traction on icy surfaces
* Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
* Sand to improve traction
* Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment
* Pet Survival Kit

Suggestions and Reminders: Store your supplies in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version of the emergency supplies in the trunk of your car. At least once a year replace batteries, update clothes, etc. Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications, and your veterinarian about veterinary medications.

Learn about winter storm risk in your area.

Contact your local emergency management office, National Weather Service office, or American Red Cross chapter for information.

Familiarize yourself with winter storm and blizzard WATCHES and WARNINGS.

A National Weather Service (NWS) winter storm watch means a winter storm is possible in your area.

A NWS winter storm warning means a winter storm is occurring, or will soon occur, in your area.

Freezing Rain is rain that freezes when it hits the ground, creating a coating of ice on roads, walkways, trees, and power lines.

Sleet is rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes moisture on roads to freeze and become slippery.

A NWS Blizzard Warning occurs when there are sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 miles per hour or greater and considerable amounts of falling or blowing snow (reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile) are expected to prevail for a period of three hours or longer.

Frost/Freeze Warnings occur when below freezing temperatures are expected.

Understand the hazards of wind chill, which combines the cooling effect of wind and cold temperatures on exposed skin.

As the wind increases, heat is carried away from a person’s body at an accelerated rate, driving down the body temperature. “Wind chill” is a calculation of how cold it feels when the effects of wind speed and temperature are combined. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect as a still air temperature about 35 degrees colder.

* Service snow removal equipment before winter storm season.
* Make sure you have sufficient heating fuel; regular fuel sources may be cut off. For example, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
* Dress for the weather.
* Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
* Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
* Wear a hat.
* Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

Frostbite

Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can cause permanent damage. Symptoms of frostbite are the loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in fingers, toes, nose, and ear lobes.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops below normal due to prolonged exposure to temperatures less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness, and exhaustion.

If frostbite or hypothermia is suspected

Warm the victim and seek immediate medical assistance. Never give a frostbite or hypothermia victim something with caffeine in it (like coffee) or alcohol. Caffeine, a stimulant, can cause the heart to beat faster and hasten the effects the cold has on the body. Alcohol, a depressant can slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body temperatures.

* Winterize your home.
* Insulate walls and attic.
* Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
* Install window covers or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
* Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
* Install window covers or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
* Prepare your car. Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
* Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow of water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.
* Clear rain gutters. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
* Install window covers or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
* Prepare your car. Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
* Antifreeze levels – ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
* Battery and ignition system – should be in top condition and battery terminals should be clean.
* Brakes – check for wear and fluid levels.
* Exhaust system – check for leaks and crimped pipes and repair or replace as necessary. Carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.
* Fuel and air filters – replace and keep water out of the system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas.
* Heater and defroster – ensure they work properly.
* Lights and flashing hazard lights – check for serviceability.
* Oil – check for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.
* Thermostat – ensure it works properly.
* Windshield wiper equipment – repair any problems and maintain proper washer fluid level.
* Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.
* Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
* Purchase a separate auto survival kit for the trunk of each car used by members of your household. Purchase a winter emergency kit for each car you own.

Have some type of safe, emergency heating equipment available.

* Fireplace with ample supply of wood; small, well vented wood, coal or camp stove with fuel; portable space heaters, or kerosene heater. Note: Check with your local fire department on the legality of using kerosene heaters in your community. If kerosene heaters are used, maintain ventilation to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Also, always refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet away from flammable objects.
* Install and check smoke detectors.
* Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.

Keep pipes from freezing

Wrap pipes in insulation or layers of old newspapers.

* Cover the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture.
* Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
* Know how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
* Install snow fences in rural areas to reduce drifting in roads and paths, which could block access to homes, barns, and animals’ feed and water.

Use a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone-alert feature to keep you informed of watches and warnings issued in your area.

Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross for information on designated public shelters in case you lose power or heat.

DURING

* Listen to a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio, or local radio or television stations for weather reports and emergency information.
* Eat regularly and drink ample fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.
* Be aware of changing weather conditions.
* Move animals to sheltered areas.
* Avoid unnecessary travel. Stay indoors and dress warmly during the storm.
* Conserve fuel, if necessary, by keeping your residence cooler than normal.
* Temporarily close off heat to some rooms.
* If the pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers of newspapers and wrap pipes in rags. Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they were most exposed to the cold (or where the cold was most likely to penetrate).
* Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects.
* If you must go outside, protect yourself from winter storm hazards.
* Wear layered clothing, mittens or gloves, and a hat.
* Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extremely cold air. Try not to speak unless absolutely necessary.
* Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. It is best to use the buddy system in case your senses become impaired.
* Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion.

If symptoms of hypothermia are detected:

* Get the victim to a warm location
* Remove wet clothing
* Put the person in dry clothing and wrap their entire body in a blanket
* Warm the center of the body first
* Give warm, non-alcoholic or non-caffeinated beverages if the victim is conscious
* Get medical help as soon as possible.

Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car or walking in deep snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack – a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.

* Use public transportation if possible.

If you have a cell phone or two-way radio available for your use, keep the battery charged and keep it with you whenever traveling in winter weather.

If you need to drive, let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive.

Consider the following:

* Travel in the day, don’t travel alone, and keep others informed of your schedule
* Stay on main roads; avoid back road shortcuts.
* Be aware of sleet, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and dense fog, which can make driving very hazardous

IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE

* Pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from the radio antenna or window.
* Stay with your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful; distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk in the deep snow.
* Occasionally run engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
* Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen.
* Do minor exercises to keep up circulation, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
* If more than one person is in the car, take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.
* Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electrical energy needs – the use of lights, heat, and radio – with supply.
* If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling out HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.
* Leave the car and proceed on foot – if necessary – once the blizzard passes.

AFTER:

* Continue listening to local radio or television stations or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions.
* Help neighbors who may require special assistance.
* Avoid driving and other travel until conditions have improved.
* Avoid overexertion.
* Follow forecasts and be prepared when venturing outside.

ANIMALS AFTER A WINTER STORM

The behavior of animals may change dramatically after any disruption in their routine. Normally quiet and friendly animals may become irritable. Monitor animals closely and only release them in safe and secure enclosures.

Animals may not be allowed in Red Cross shelters for health and space reasons. Prepare an emergency plan and know where you will take all of your animals in the event of a disaster. Temporary animal shelters may be set-up, however, these will fill rapidly. An ideal situation during disasters is to have pre-determined friend or family member that will provide a living space for your whole family, including your animals. Make sure all animals have a current identification tag, license, and vaccinations.

A major winter storm can be lethal. A major winter storm can last for several days and be accompanied by high winds, freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall, and cold temperatures. People can become trapped at home, without utilities or other services. Heavy snowfall and blizzards can trap motorists in their cars. Attempting to walk for help in a blizzard can be a deadly decision.

Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. The leading cause of death during winter storms is from automobile or other transportation accidents. Exhaustion and heart attacks caused by overexertion are the two most likely causes of winter storm-related deaths.

House fires occur more frequently in the winter due to lack of proper safety precautions when using alternate heating sources. Fire during winter storms presents a great danger because water supplies may freeze and it may be difficult for firefighting equipment to get to the fire.

Preparing for all types of cold weather conditions and disasters, and responding to them effectively can reduce the dangers caused by winter storms. To prepare for natural or man-made disasters go to http://www.survivalkitsonline.com.

Whether we design it our self, purchase a template, or hire someone to develop an e-commerce website for our retail business, it must be professional looking, easy-to-navigate, and content rich. The website should be hosted with a reputable source, with little downtime and reliable technical support. The website must also be secure as it will need to collect personal and financial information from customers.

We must first define the purpose and goals for the site and then, develop a strategic plan and design the site accordingly. The web site’s purpose–whether it’s to gather leads or sell products–should drive the design of the pages.

The answers to the following questions can help in planning:

Who is our target audience?

How to navigate the site?

What graphics, fonts, and colors will the site use?

How to design the site for different browsers?

How to optimize the site for the search engines?

What content will the website offer?

How to build trust and convey credibility?

How to deliver products to customers?

What methods of payment will be accepted?

What steps will be taken to keep customer information safe and secure?

How to drive traffic to our site?

How to market our website and products?

Planning an e-commerce website is very similar to writing a business plan. The objective is to identify the focus of the website, the needs of the customer and what the competition is doing on-line.

Special features of e-tailing

Online Store Look Every e-Tailing site has a store front with an identity, image and positioning. The online store front has its signature identity with features that trigger off browsing and persuade customers to buy its product offerings. The navigation triggers the browser buttons and the “cookies” lead the customers completely through the site’s offerings.

Visual Density Visual density is all about virtual space utilization like shelf space management in retail. On-line retailers use visual density very effectively to promote offerings and sell merchandise. A site’s visual appeal ensures that the browser stays with the site for a long time.

On-line Merchandising One of the major advantages of on-line merchandising is that the site can have an unlimited number of SKUs on display. This is because virtual space is almost unlimited. The offering mix can be made to appeal to a wide customer base. Back-end merchandise analysis can be made for the click stream analysis and conversions thereof. One can also measure the number of non-buyers who visit the site. Offers linked to purchase act as buying triggers. In on-line retailing, there is no obsolescence due to the fact that merchandise is not exposed at all nor is there an inventory carrying cost on the web. Expenses being low, there is potential for high margins in e-Tailing. The following table shows, gender-wise, the most shopped categories across the world on-line.

On-line Pricing Prices of merchandise on-line are competitive compared to brick-and-mortar stores. This is because operating expenses saved by working through the Internet are generally passed on to the consumer.

New On-line Retail

The recent development of sending e-greetings has helped customers get into the habit of using the Internet. Another area of development is bill presentment. Retail banking and related services through the Internet is also being promoted and a good deal of transactions takes place through the net. Shopping robots on the net help instant price comparisons to enable customers make purchase decisions.

Logistics and supply chain The key success factor for on-line retailing is efficient logistics to ensure that the right product is delivered to the right customer at the right time. The supply chain network is triggered in an automatic fashion, meeting promised delivery dates. Alliances are critical in the areas of sourcing and vendor management, warehousing, transportation and effective order deliveries. Storing merchandise in satellite warehouses enables timely deliveries in operations that are spread over a wide area.

Promotions on-line There is good scope for promoting on site products merchandised and sold on-line. The site itself can host links of products/ services offered by other companies for a fee. Banners, crawlers, browser buttons, URL links, etc. can be put on other non-competing sites. There is a lot of opportunity to create customer stickiness by constantly communicating with them through e-mail. Personalized offerings can be made to individual customers based on individual’s shopping characteristics.

Advantages of e-tailing

-Move from physical space to cyber space.

-No location boundaries.

-Wider spectrum of customers

-Non-geocentric buying habits of customers.

Challenges for e-tailing

On-line merchants must cater to increasingly on line-savvy, time-crunched consumers.

Competitors are just a click away When consumers search, they have multiple options available, and many use search to navigate the Web rather than type in or bookmark specific sites.

Visitors can disappear seconds On line consumers are goal-oriented shoppers. If they don’t immediately find what they’re looking for, they’re gone in seconds.

Shopping is a multi step process. Consumers love to browse. Many spend a fair bit of time visiting several sites just to gather information. They may also compare the offerings of several competitors before hitting the “buy now” button.

Time between initial visit and purchase has increased. Increasingly financially challenged consumers may wait longer before buying.

Customers wait for merchants’ best offer. Having been seduced during the holiday season with free shipping and handling and other price-driven offers, consumers have been trained to wait for a special deal.

Pitfalls of E-Tailing

No Theatrical Ambiance on line retailing site does not have a theatrical ambiance which can be felt by the customer.

No Emotional Experience There is no emotional shopping experience that the customer can get in e-Tailing as he would in a brick-and-mortar environment.

Intangible Merchandise The customer cannot hold, smell, feel or try the product.

Security Issues Customers on-line are reluctant to part with their credit card details on the net, fearing they may be misused. Customers are not yet convinced that these methods are foolproof.

Impersonal Customer Service Indian customers are used to tangible personalized customer service which on-line retailing cannot provide.

Some organizations have tried to use the Internet along with their brick-and-mortar operations. It is just a matter of time before on-line retailing picks up in India. If there is consistency in quality and delivery on time, certain convenience categories like books and music will undoubtedly perform well.

To remain on the higher rungs of e-tailing, the e-tailer needs to make the entire product package attractive and make customer satisfaction its foremost priority. Every product should include a detailed description and should be made available with an honest price tag. With advances in e-commerce technology; e-tailing is getting more refined and continues to fine-tune itself in an attempt to surpass consumer expectations. E-tailing helps retailers build loyal customers and is aimed at selling in areas where they don’t have a physical presence.

On- line retailers can increase their sales and profits faster than a brick and mortar shop as selling on line offers the advantage of having an open store, twenty four hours a day, and seven days a week. Selling on line also allows retailers to display their merchandise in any part of the world without additional expense. This advantage lets on-line retailers expand their market to global proportions or target an extremely focused segment.

While stepping into e-commerce business you must understand that the world of Internet never sleeps. Thereby, you must be able to provide round the clock service to your customers. Depending on your research you will have to determine the amount of resources you will need for going online. There are several web experts and professionals who can help you to e-commerce, online business, online small business,conduct the research as well as to build and maintain a site. You can even hire people who have experience in web management if you can support that. In addition, there are many professionals who work on contract basis. You can hire such professionals and bring them back from time to time to make major changes. They can even help you to train the existing employees so that they can conveniently continue with the maintenance part.

In case you are ready to explore the overseas market determine the shipping charges in advance. By tacking a huge shipping charge you will only lose your foreign customers. Thereby, it is better to calculate the shipping charge in advance to ensure whether or not your customers can afford that. The websites of most of the postal carriers will allow you to calculate the charge based on the weight of your products and the place where you want to export these. If used properly you can easily use this factor as one of your major competitive advantages.

Though it is not an arduous process, you must be passionate enough to start your online business. In fact there are certain factors that you need to consider before developing an e-commerce business. Firstly, you will need a well laid business plan. You must minutely study every aspect of your small business. Make sure it justifies the online presence. A bakery that has the capability of working only within its locality will hardly do any good with an e-commerce site. On the other hand, having such a site will prove beneficial if the person concerned is ready to provide the service beyond his/ her boundaries.

Birth of every new technology gives us a light and hope for every individual that something better is going to be happened. As every new gadget are developed and invented keeping the view of the necessity of users or in terms of business as customers.

Upon the curiosity, everyone looses their sense for a while and hence makes a way to the intruders for allowing them to do some unethical stuff, here where security measure comes to the point.

Many personal details have been hacked so far and many lives have been lost over the decade due to some sites on internet. Lots of banking transactions are being done everyday and many sites are being hacked. Web applications services have been developed from small text website to a large complex portals but none of the applications guarantees its security.

Cyber terrorism leads to a new form of law known as cyber law hence cyber security came into force. Each good and worse activity on web carries with it a ripple effect on others. Hyper text transfer protocol appeared as insufficient and hence new protocol called secured hyper text transfer protocol has been developed for ensuring a better secure communication between client and server. It is now being used by many electronic commerce and banking related sites.

Impact on Masses:

Web Development Services fulfills the needs of an individual or business organization who wants to make their services or name on a global presence. The impact of web development is on the head of every alive species on this planet whether its a business man or fun loving individual. Former is hungry for business information needs and later for having fun. Lots of individuals are engaged themselves chatting, playing games on the internet.

Every small and big organization is striving to make their products and services global. Due to the demand of applications Web Development Organizations throughout the globe are striving themselves to deliver websites faster and better. Hence web development service is being considered as the key service for the mankind today.

Web development generally became the necessity of the individuals today. Last two decades technologist continuously strive themselves to unleash their standalone programming potentials to make a common platform where lots of players across the globe can share their in formations. The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners Lee in 1991 which bridged the gap between the centralized and decentralized software applications. Hence web became the necessity and the purpose of globalization.

Gone are the days when individuals had to do paper work each and every official as well as personal work. Loads of books on the back have been replaced with laptops and online learning and training institutes are mushrooming here and there. Queue on the bank and railways has been shifted to the stack on the server and executives are being replaced by the client or personal computer with internet running client server and web applications.

Fraud is being monitored and controlled 24 hours a day with the help of applications. Moreover the rapid craze of social media has once again pulled the users to its side.

Social networking site has been a common place for the variety of individuals ranging from school children to college guys, from brokers to sellers, from organizers to managers and from buyers to sellers.

Reduced cycle time The delivery of digitized products and services can be reduced to seconds. Also, the administrative work related to physical delivery, especially across international borders, can be reduced significantly, cutting the cycle time by more than 90 percent.

Customer service Customer service can be greatly enhanced by enabling customers to find detailed information online. Also, intelligent agents can answer standard e-mail questions in seconds and human experts’ services can be expedited using help-desk software.

Corporate image On the Web, newcomers can establish corporate images very quickly. Corporate image means trust, which is necessary for direct sales. Traditional companies such as Intel, Disney, Dell, and Cisco use their Web activities to affirm their corporate identity and brand image.

Other marketing Impacts

Customization E-commerce provides for customization of products and services, in contrast to buying in a store or ordering from a television, which is usually limited to standard products. Dell Computers Inc. is a success story of customization. Today, we can configure not only computers but also cars, jewelry, gifts, and hundreds of other products and services. If properly done, one can achieve mass customization. It provides a competitive advantage as well as increases the overall demand for certain products and services.

Advertisement With direct marketing and customization comes as one-to-one or direct advertisement, which is much more effective than mass advertisement. This creates a fundamental change in the manner in which advertisement is conducted not only for online trades but also for products and services that are ordered in traditional ways.

Ordering System Taking orders from customers can drastically be improved if it is done online. When taken electronically, orders can be quickly routed to the appropriate order-processing site. This saves time and reduces expenses. So sales -people have more time to sell. Also, customers can compute the cost of their orders, saving time for all parties involved.

Markets The physical market disappears as does the need to deliver the goods to the marketplace. In a market space, which is an electronic market, goods are delivered directly to buyers when purchasing is completed making markets much more efficient. For those products that are digitally based-software, music and information-the changes will be dramatic. Already, small but powerful software packages are delivered over the Internet. This fundamentally affects packaging and greatly reduces the need for historical distribution.

New selling models such as shareware, freeware
are emerging to maximize the potential of the Internet. New forms of marketing will also emerge, such as Web-based advertising, linked advertising, direct e-mail, and an increased emphasis on relationship marketing. Customer’s convenience is greatly enhanced, availability of products and services is much greater, and cheaper products are offered. All these provide EC with a competitive advantage over the traditional direct sales methods. Some people predict the “fall of the shopping malls,” and many retail stores and brokers of services are labeled by some as “soon to be endangered species.”

Impacts on organizations

Technology and Organizational Learning Rapid progress in E-Commerce will force companies to adapt quickly to the new technology and offer them an opportunity to experiment with new products, services, and processes. New technologies require new organizational approaches. For instance, the structure of the organizational unit dealing with E-Commerce might have to be different from the conventional sales and marketing departments. To be more flexible and responsive to the market, new processes must be put in place. This type of corporate change must be planned and managed.

Changing Nature of Work The nature of work and employment will be transformed in the Digital Age; it is already happening before our eyes. Driven by increased competition in the global marketplace, firms are reducing the number of employees down to a core of essential staff and outsourcing whatever work they can to countries where wages are significantly less expensive. The upheaval brought on by these changes is creating new opportunities and new risks and forcing us into new ways of thinking about jobs, careers, and salaries.

The Digital Age workers will have to become very flexible. Few of them will have truly secure jobs in the traditional sense, and all of them will have to be willing and able to constantly learn, adapt, make decisions, and stand by them.

New product capabilities E-commerce allows for new products to be created and existing products to be customized in innovative ways. Such changes may redefine organizations’ missions and the manner in which they operate. E-Commerce also allows suppliers to gather personalized data on customers. Building customer profiles as well as collecting data on certain groups of customers, can be used as a source of information for improving products or designing new ones.

Mass customization, as described earlier, enables manufacturers to create specific products for each customer, based on his or her exact needs. For example, Motorola gathers customer needs for a pager or a cellular phone, transmits them electronically to the manufacturing plant where they are manufactured, along with the customer’s specifications and then sends the product to the customer within a day.

Impacts on Manufacturing

E-Commerce is changing manufacturing systems from mass production to demand-driven and possibly customized, just-in-time manufacturing. Furthermore, the production systems are integrated with finance, marketing, and other functional systems, as well as with business partners and customers. Using Web-based ERP systems, orders that are taken from customers can be directed to designers and to the production floor, within seconds. Production cycle time is cut by 50 percent or more in many cases, especially when production is done in a different country from where the designers and engineers are located.

Companies like IBM, General Motors, are assembling products for which the components are manufactured in many locations. Sub-assemblers gather materials and parts from their vendors, and they may use one or more tiers of manufacturers. Communication, collaboration, and coordination become critical in such multitier systems. Using electronic bidding, assemblers get sub-assemblies 15 percent to 20 percent cheaper than before and 80 percent faster.

Impacts on Finance

E-commerce requires special finance and accounting systems. Traditional payment systems are ineffective or inefficient for electronic trade. The use of the new payment systems such as electronic cash is complicated because it involves legal issues and agreements on international standards. Nevertheless, electronic cash is certain to come soon and it will change the manner in which payments are being made. In many ways, electronic cash, which can be backed by currency or other assets, represents the biggest revolution in currency since gold replaced cowry shells. Its diversity and pluralism is perfectly suited to the Internet. It could change consumers’ financial lives and shake the foundations of financial systems and even governments.