E-commerce infrastructures

E-commerce infrastructures:

E-commerce infrastructure requires a variety of hardware, software, and networks. The major components are networks, Web servers, Web server support and software, electronic catalos, Web page design, construction software, transactional software,and Internet access components. In addition, special software and sometimes hardwareis needed for conducting auctions, e-procurement, and m-commerce. The key infrastructures that are needed to support electronic transactions, communication, and collaboration include: networks; Web servers and supporting software; electronic catalogs; Web page design software; transactional software; and Interent access components.

Common business infrastructure:

Security, authentication, electronic payment, directories, catalogs, etc. Electronic payment systems. As in the traditional marketplace, so too in cyberspace,diversity of payment methods allows customers to choose how they wish to pay. The following instruments are acceptable means of payment: electronic checks, electronic credit cards, electronic cash, smart cards, person-to-person payments, electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallets, and purchasing cards.Electronic credit cards make it possible to charge online payments to one’s credit card account. It is easy and simple for a buyer to e-mail her or his credit card number to the seller. The risk here is that hackers will be able to read the credit card number. Sender authentication is also difficult. Therefore, for security, only encrypted cards should be used. The data associated with encrypted cards are scrambled so that only those recipients with a key to the coding can retrieve the data. Credit card details can be encrypted by using the SSL protocol. electronic wallet (e-wallet). An e-wallet is a software component that is downloaded to a user’s PC and in which the user stores credit card numbers and other personal information. When the user shops at a merchant who acceptsthe e-wallet, the user can perform one-click shopping, with the e-wallet automatically filling in the necessary information. Credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard offer e-wallet services.

S e c u r i t y i n E l e c t r o n i c P a y m e n t s

Two main issues need to be considered under the topic of payment security: what is required in order to make EC payments safe, and the methods that can be used to do it.Security requirements. Security requirements for conducting EC are: Authentication. The buyer, the seller, and the paying institutions must be assured of the identity of the parties with whom they are dealing.Integrity. It is necessary to ensure that data and information transmitted in EC, such as orders, reply to queries, and payment authorization, are not accidentally or maliciously altered or destroyed during transmission. Non-repudiation. Merchants need protection against the customer’s unjustified denial of placing an order. (Such denial is called repudiation.) On the other hand customers need protection against merchants’ unjustified denial of payments made. Privacy. Many customers want their identity to be secured. They want to make sureothers do not know what they buy. Some prefer complete anonymity, as is possiblewith cash payments.Safety. Customers want to be sure that it is safe to provide a credit card number on the Internet.

Messaging and information distribution infrastructure:

HTML, XML, HTTP etc are used for message distribution over internet. Information contents consists of text, numbers, pictures, audio and video. Everything is in digital form.To distribute the information Messaging vehicle i.e. Middleware software is used. Messaging vehicle provides way to communicate unstructured as well as structured data

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language that helps us communicate with others on the World Wide Web (WWW).When writing HTML, you add "tags" to the text in order to create the structure. These tags tell the browser how to display the text or graphics in the documentExtensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification The design goals of XML emphasize simplicity, generality, and usability over the Internet.[6] It is a textual data format with strong support via Unicode for the languages of the world. Although the design of XML focuses on documents, it is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures, for example in web services.

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems.[1] HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. Hypertext is structured text that uses logical links (hyperlinks) between nodes containing text. HTTP is the protocol to exchange or transfer hypertext.

Network infrastructure:

There are different types of network infrastructure like telephones, wireless and satellite based networks. It also includes hardware software and other networking devices such as routers, hubs, that provide an interface with various networks. Any successful E-commerce application will require the I-Way infrastructure in the same way that regular commerce needs the interstate highway network to carry goods from point to point These new ideas demand radical changes in the design of the entire business process. I-Way is not one monolithic data highway designed according to long-standing, well-defined rules and regulations based on well-known needs. The I-Way will be a mesh of interconnected data highways of many forms: telephone wires, cable TV wires, radio-based wireless-cellular and satellite.

Multimedia content and network publishing:

Multimedia content can be considered both fuel and traffic for E-commerce applications. The technical definition of Multimedia is the use of digital data in more than one format, such as the combination of text, audio, video and graphics in a computer file/document. Its purpose is to combine the interactivity of a user-friendly interface with multiple forms of content. The success of E-commerce applications also depends on the variety and innovativeness of multimedia content and packaging. E-commerce requires robust servers to store and distribute large amounts of digital content to consumers. These multimedia storage servers are large information warehouses capable of handling various content. Theses servers must handle large-scale distribution, guarantee security and complete reliability   Contents are developed in form of HTML and are published on WEB SERVER.¢ The Most prevalent architecture that enables network publishing is WWW.