Format of session

1
Format of session

• Introduce the most important technologies and
  standards which need to be considered a
  pre-requisite to developing e-commerce sites
• Understanding the options available for the
  architecture of a site - review
• How to get a business connected
• Understand why this is important
• as an entrepreneur or e-business co-ordinator
  within a firm it is important to take ownership
  of the above

2
The need for networks

• Without communication and networking technologies
  there would be no E-Commerce
• Technology both facilitates and constrains the
  development of E-Commerce at this evolutionary
  point this is very much the case
• It is fair to say that there is concern about the
  capacity of the Internet
• Also concern whether the UK has the necessary
  infrastructure in place

3
Some Technology Trends

• Server side provision
• Parallel technologies
• The digital TV armchair revolution
• Kiosks
• M-Commerce (mobiles/PDAs) - this will be dealt
  with later in the course

4
Server side provision

• Web Servers and ISPs Web servers are used to
  store, manage and supply the information on the
  World Wide
• Workstation from which a user accesses a server
  is described as a client - the whole
  configuration is described as client-server
  architecture.

5
Server side provision

• Internet Service Providers(ISPs)
• telecommunications companies that provide home or
  business users with a connection to the Intemet.
• Application Service Providers(ASPs)
• Application Service providers (ASPs) offer a
  more complete service support than ISPs.

6
A firm needs to be aware of

• The differences between the internet, an intranet
  and an extranet
• the communications infrastructure that supports
  E-Commerce
• internet connections and Protocols
• client/server computing
• Why?

7
Why?

• Because you may be asked to be responsible for
  helping to procure technology and services - its
  your call ignorance is no excuse!
• Imagine yourself in this role - given a budget,
  asked to budget for an internet project within
  your firm
• So as to avoid horror stories like this one
• e.g ASP Angst

8
Hosting a site

• Hosting options - verbally explained now
• internal hosting - DIY - you become a node on the
  Internet
• co-locating hosting - very popular
• Other ISP hosting solutions
• ASP service
• All have hosting implications - see tutorial

9
Connecting to the internet

• A modem for small business connections or a
  gateway server for large organisations
• The connection to the Internet digital or
  analogue via phone lines cable or WAN(Wide Area
  Network)
• Most popular choices are
• Dial-up Dial-up ISDN
• ISDN
• ADSL
• Leased Line - pipes 64kbps, 256, 1mbps, 2mbps
• How to choose - see next slide

10
Connection choice

• fees for access from network line provider, fee
  based on distance or traffic volume
• the nature of a companys business will dictate
  the usage of line - is the data frequent or
  occasional?
• What kind of secure access does the business need
  - immediate or less critical?
• What kind of speed of access is required?
• See example spreadsheets on tutorial document

11
Newer network technologies

• State of the art technology can be expensive
  and so tend to be of interest to large firms
• Optical networks
• Virtual private networks (VPNs) - usually for
  security reasons - see Security session later in
  the module
• Wireless networks
• Issue of integration of networks convergence of
  parallel technologies an issue!

12
Access Technologies Digital TV

• There are a number of different proposals for the
  integration of Internet and television.
• One model for this is WebTV (www.webtv.net) being
  promoted by Microsoft.
• allows the simultaneous display of a television
  channel and web pages.
• WebTV uses an existing television, a telephone
  line, and a set top box

13
Keeping up to date in this area

• Developments in set-top boxes
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/
• New Handspring models
• http//www.wired.com/news/business
• Mobile Phones Redefine Cities
• http//www.wired.com/news/wireless/