Online Shopping

Wondering how many people actually shop online, let’s take a look at that…

• $107 BILLION $ were spent online in 2006
• 79% of all people using the Internet bought something online last year.

Online shopping topped $65 billion in 2004. Two years later it was $107 Billion. That’s a lot of shopping.

Online shopping is becoming more and more commonplace. It has been predicted that U.S. online shoppers will double to 132 million in the next five years. With today's hectic schedules, people need a way to save time, and shopping online is a way to do this. In a recent study, it was found that 19% of Internet users shop online once per week and this number is expected to continue to grow.

Have a look at some of the reasons to shop online:

Save Gas.
This one is a no-brainer. Don’t have to drive to buy something, just saved money.

Save Time.
This should be a no-brainer as well. Don’t have to leave the house and drive to the store, wait in line, or deal with traffic – saved a lot of time.

Save Money.
Can often find great deals online that can’t find in the stores. Why? Because the store doesn’t have the same expense of a retail “brick & mortar” location, sales people, etc. They’re just shipping things from a warehouse. They are able to pass the savings on to the consumer.

Things are delivered right to the door.
Regardless of the weather, rain snow, thunder and lightening the order will be delivered right to the door.

The items are always the right size & color.
Instead of going to the store and discovering they don’t have the size & color want, or they are sold out of that model, etc., the customer can access to their entire warehouse!

Reduce Greenhouse Emissions.
Online shopping will put fewer cars on the road, thus fewer carbon emissions into our atmosphere. And that can only be a good thing!

Can make money every time shopping.
Besides the fact that can save money through Shopping Rebates, customer can introduce their friends and family to shopping online and make even more money! How much more motivated would people be to shop online if they made money every time they shop.

In the right place at the right time, with the most technologically advanced Internet. It simply doesn’t get any better than that! Stay home, click through, and buy what you want and make and save money!
Online Shopping

How to Avoid Getting Ripped-Off Online

Online security is one of the top catch phrases these days, but hardly anybody knows what it means and worse, most home computer users think security only applies to corporations and online businesses.

Most people think online security means simply protecting credit card data from fraud and theft, but it actually goes way beyond that.

The potential for mayhem and just plain disruption of people’s life doesn't just mean credit card fraud - it can mean having your identity stolen, your life disrupted and spending hours cleaning up after an online 'vandalism' attack.

Everybody must protect themselves from everyone from the teenage computer hacker to the organized crime syndicate using computer worms and keystroke logging viruses.

The great news is that a number of simple techniques should protect you against the vast majority of threats, since the evil doers will simply move on to easier pastures.

Update your anti-virus files
If don’t have anti-virus software with current virus definitions installed, it will leave the door wide open for security problems.

Install a 'Firewall'
A firewall helps prevent unauthorized access to computer by 'hackers'.
It closes off the entry points (called open 'ports') carried by virtually every computer connected to the Internet.
A common misconception is that firewalls are only for people with cable or other high-speed connections.
Even if use a dial up connection to get online, a firewall can help detect and prevent people from logging on to the computer, stealing files or even using computer to break into others!

Use secure sites
Only give sensitive data such as credit cards, social security numbers and important passwords over a secure connection.
This means the little yellow lock appears in the lower part of browser and nobody but the website are connected to should be able to read the data sent.

Change passwords often
An easy way to protect sensitive data and email is to change passwords on a monthly basis, or even more often depending on how frequently using computers away from home.
If log on to email at the library, in 'cyber cafes' or any other remote computer then the possibility exists that computer could have a key-stroking virus present. This means everything type into the computer (passwords, birthdays, social security numbers, and credit cards) could be logged and used by someone else.

Change passwords at lease once a month.
Though not fool-proof, these security tips should help reduce your vulnerability and keep everybody safer online.
How to Avoid Getting Ripped-Off Online

Software world

The software world is changing, as the Internet drives changes in other information technologies and applications.

One of the latest developments is for software companies, to make software available online to consumers and businesses to use for a fee on per use basis, rather than purchasing and downloading software product.

The other related development is from companies called application software provider (ASPs), who offer to completely handle the processing of selected business applications for a company as an online service.

Hershey Direct is an example of a company E-commerce division which contracted with an ASP called Usinternetworking to set up and handle the application needed to run their website so they could concentrate on the business aspects of their E-commerce initiative.

Norm Thompson is an example of a company that evaluated and rejected the ASP model being significantly more expensive than doing everything themselves.

But big software companies like Oracle, SAP, and Peoplesoft are entering the ASP and online software services business, seeing it as major new source of revenue for their products.
Software world

E-commerce Systems

For e-business enterprises in the age of internet, electronic commerce is more than just buying and selling product online. Instead, it compasses the entire online process of developing, marketing, selling, delivering, servicing and paying for product and services transacted on internetworked, global market place of customers, with the support of a world wide network of business partners.

E-commerce systems rely on the resources of the internet, intranets, extranets, and other technologies to support every step of this process.
E-commerce Systems