E-Commerce Briefs and Trends

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Web Commerce Today, Issue 1, August 15, 1997

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For up-to-date Electronic Commerce News check the sites in our Research Room. We see indicators to highlight this month which point to a mushrooming of electronic commerce.

First, the SET (Secure Electronic Transaction) standards are undergoing pilot testing in 25 countries, promising a uniform standard. While it may be a while before it is widely adopted by both merchants and shoppers, what may be more significant is the marketing money Visa and MasterCard will put behind the safety of purchasing over the Internet. See two related articles.

• Tim Clark, "Logo program to boost SET," CNet, July 18, 1997.
• Tim Clark, "First U.S. SET trials under way," CNet, July 17, 1997.

Second, several research firm released last month revising upward projections of Internet shopping revenues to over a trillion dollars by 2001. After waiting for two years to see how to approach Web sales, many, many companies are moving at all possible speed to sell products directly on the net. This is significant for smaller merchants, since for them to gain a foothold in this new market it is important for them to move quickly themselves or lose their best opportunity. See related stories under our links section in this issue.

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