ecommerce recommendations and related topics
SSL
(pronounced as separate letters) Short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL uses a cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data − a public key known to everyone and a private or secret key known only to the recipient of the message. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer support SSL, and many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers.By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http:.
Another protocol for transmitting data securely over the World Wide Web is Secure HTTP (S-HTTP). Whereas SSL creates a secure connection between a client and a server, over which any amount of data can be sent securely, S-HTTP is designed to transmit individual messages securely. SSL and S-HTTP, therefore, can be seen as complementary rather than competing technologies. Both protocols have been approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a standard.
Also see SSL: Your Key to E-commerce Security in Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" section. digital cash
A system that allows a person to pay for goods or services by transmitting a number from one computer to another. Like the serial numbers on real dollar bills, the digital cash numbers are unique. Each one is issued by a bank and represents a specified sum of real money. One of the key features of digital cash is that, like real cash, it is anonymous and reusable. That is, when a digital cash amount is sent from a buyer to a vendor, there is no way to obtain information about the buyer. This is one of the key differences between digital cash and credit card systems. Another key difference is that a digital cash certificate can be reused.
Digital cash transactions are expected to become commonplace by the year 2000. However, there a number of competing protocols, and it is unclear which ones will become dominant. Most digital cash systems start with a participating bank that issues cash numbers or other unique identifiers that carry a given value, such as five dollars. To obtain such a certificate, you must have an account at the bank; when you purchase digital cash certificates, the money is withdrawn from your account. You transfer the certificate to the vendor to pay for a product or service, and the vendor deposits the cash number in any participating bank or retransmits it to another vendor. For large purchases, the vendor can check the validity of a cash number by contacting the issuing bank. CRM Definition
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an data industry locution for
methodologies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that aid an enterprise operate customer
relationships in an organized and efficient manner. In many cases, an enterprise builds a
database about its customers. This database describes relationships in sufficient detail so that
management, salespeople, and customer supply reps can access data; match customer needs with
product plans and offerings; remind customers of supply requirements; know what other products a
customer had purchased; etc. RM Definition Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an data
industry locution for methodologies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that aid an
enterprise operate customer relationships in an organized and efficient manner. In many cases,
an enterprise builds a database about its customers. This database describes relationships in
sufficient detail so that management, salespeople, and customer supply reps can access data;
match customer needs with product plans and offerings; remind customers of supply requirements;
know what other products a customer had purchased; etc.
