Electronic Commerce Trends for October 1997

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Web Commerce Today, Issue 3, October 15, 1997 One of the most significant e-commerce trends is the move by Internet Service Providers and Web hosting services toward offering installed features necessary to conduct Internet commerce. Many of the smaller ISPs, which have offered freeware or shareware shopping carts to their subscribers, are now partnering with software companies to offer site licenses for more sophisticated storebuilding software. More ISPs are also offering secure servers to implement online transactions, and many allow use of their own digital certificate. A few ISPs are beginning to provide real-time credit card authorization solutions, as well. The net result is that it can be easier for the smaller company to set up to do commerce on the Web. However, there is a vast spread of prices and quality for such services. Let the buyer rejoice, but still be wary.

This month half a dozen publishers of computer magazines set up "electronic commerce centers." Many of these contain links to e-commerce articles in that publisher's magazines, but none contain anywhere near the comprehensiveness of links offered in the Electronic Commerce Research Room.

Articles about Trends You Should Be Aware of:

• Martin Nisenholtz, "Microsoft to Test European Internet Mall," New York Times, CyberTimes, October 9, 1997. Just in time for holiday shopping, Microsoft says it will create an Internet shopping mall with retailers in eight countries in an experiment to increase electronic commerce and Internet use in Europe. http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/100997microsoft.html
• Matthew Nelson and Michael Parsons, "Interview: AT&T Networked Commerce Services' Gary Hickox on I-commerce," InfoWorld, August 11, 1997. Interview promotes AT&T's SecureBuy. http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayArchive.pl?/97/32/i01-32.61.htm
• Todd Spangler, "PSINet's New E-Commerce System To Handle Online Purchases in 126 International Currencies," Web Week, October 6, 1997. PSINet Inc. and WorldPay are scheduled this week to announce an electronic-commerce service that lets online merchants offer products for sale in 126 currencies and receive settlement payments in 16. http://www.webweek.com/1997/10/06/news/19971006-psinet.html

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