E-Commerce

Oracle announces release of Internet Commerce Server 1.1

Sell products in a secure environment. full story

IBM, Lotus, NFIB fund e-com solutions

Grants awarded for potential business benefit. full story

HP, AX offer secure Web transactions

ExpressVault employs American Express' payment system. full story

Oracle announces release of Internet Commerce Server 1.1

Oracle Corp., the leading provider of software to allow businesses to move to the Web, announced the immediate availability of Oracle Internet Commerce Server Release 1.1.

Oracle Internet Commerce Server is designed to create and run powerful Internet store sites for selling products in a secure and personalized environment. It enables the easy creation of Web-based "stores," the set up of sophisticated promotions and personalization, and the capability for a high degree of customization and integration with existing data and business systems such as order entry, inventory, payment, tax and shipping. For consumers, the product allows them to browse, order and pay for goods securely.

Expanding on Oracle Internet Commerce Server 1.0, Version 1.1 includes key new features, including: an enhanced Store Manager for ease in building and maintaining an electronic storefront; encrypted URLs to hold user state type information as alternatives to cookies; seamless integration with TanData's Internet shipping and handling software; and double byte language support for global-based solutions.

Using the Network Computing Architecture, Internet Commerce Server is the first truly scalable, secure, open and highly customizable commerce product in the marketplace. Oracle Internet Commerce Server benefits from the performance and scalability of Oracle8 and Oracle Application Server, which provide an extensible platform on which to build Internet Commerce solutions. This also enables seamless integration with offerings from companies such as Cybercash, Verifone, taxware, Tandata and Portland Software, that have created cartridges for extended functionality for payment services, shipping and handling, tax calculation and soft goods delivery.

IBM, Lotus, NFIB fund e-com solutions

IBM, Lotus and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have announced the e- business Development for Growing Enterprises (eDGE) fund. The $1 million eDGE fund is a program to fund the development and deployment of Lotus Domino-based e-business solutions for small and mid-size businesses. Details on the program can be found on the eDGE fund Web page at http://developmentfund.nfibonline.com.

Through the eDGE fund, independent software vendors (ISVs), including Lotus Business Partners, IBM BESTeam Business Partners and IBM Solution Developer Program members, can apply for a grant of up to $75,000 each. The grant, in turn, will be used to develop solutions to help small and mid-size businesses conduct business on the Internet, allowing them to compete more effectively in today's global marketplace.

IBM, Lotus and NFIB together will solicit and review proposals from ISVs; IBM will then determine the grant recipients and the amount of each grant. Grants will be awarded for solutions in any industry or application area but will be determined by the potential business benefit of the solution to small and mid-size companies. The thoroughness of the project plan, including development timelines, will also be a factor.

ISVs are software developers that create and market software solutions. Within the Lotus and IBM BESTeam Business Partner community, there are thousands of ISVs that are trained and certified across the entire Lotus product spectrum and are developing solutions based on those products. The solutions can be specific to one industry, such as retail or health care, or specific to a function that applies across industry lines, such as sales force automation or human resources.

Applications are available beginning today on the eDGE fund Web site, which can also be accessed through the NFIB, Lotus and IBM Web sites. Proposals for the first round of grants will be solicited from this date through February 28, 1998, and recipients will be announced in March. Subsequent awards from the $1 million fund will be made quarterly. Details on selected proposals, including the ISV contact information and solution overview, will be posted on the eDGE fund Web site.

To qualify for grants issued under this program, developers and Business Partners must work with Lotus Domino, an application and messaging server with a set of services that enables users to create secure, interactive business solutions for corporate intranets, extranets and the Internet that fully interoperate with Internet standards-based products.

HP, AX offer secure Web transactions

Hewlett-Packard Company and American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., have announced ExpressVault, a new electronic-commerce (e-commerce) program designed to allow merchants to conduct business over the Internet quickly and securely. ExpressVault combines HP's computing and security technologies with American Express' payment processing system.

The ExpressVault program utilizes HP Domain Internet Servers running either HP-UX or Microsoft Windows NT and VirtualVault, a secure hosting environment for Web front-ends based on an operating system that protects Web content and internal corporate databases. It is combined with the integrated shopping and payment solution recently announced by American Express and Mercantec. Merchants using ExpressVault initially will be able to run their online storefronts via one of two Internet service providers, EarthLink Network, Inc. or MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. ExpressVault makes it easy for merchants to add online commerce features to new or existing Web sites; protects transaction, database and Web-site information against unauthorized access; and provides real-time processing for both American Express and bank-card transactions.

The ExpressVault program, using the American Express/Mercantec e-commerce solution, is compliant with the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, a technology that greatly reduces the security risks for Internet-based transactions. Future versions are slated to support the more advanced Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) protocol when that technology is fully available. HP and American Express are offering their e-commerce program to American Express' network of merchants. Several merchants are currently using the solution. Widespread distribution is planned for early 1998.

Information about ExpressVault can be found at http://www.hp.com/go/ExpressVa.

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		Oracle announces release of Internet Commerce Server 1.1 Sell products in a secure environment. full story IBM, Lotus, NFIB fund e-com solutions Grants awarded for potential business benefit. full story HP, AX offer secure Web transactions ExpressVault employs American Express' payment system. full story

		Oracle announces release of Internet Commerce Server 1.1 Oracle Corp., the leading provider of software to allow businesses to move to the Web, announced the immediate availability of Oracle Internet Commerce Server Release 1.1. Oracle Internet Commerce Server is designed to create and run powerful Internet store sites for selling products in a secure and personalized environment. It enables the easy creation of Web-based "stores," the set up of sophisticated promotions and personalization, and the capability for a high degree of customization and integration with existing data and business systems such as order entry, inventory, payment, tax and shipping. For consumers, the product allows them to browse, order and pay for goods securely. Expanding on Oracle Internet Commerce Server 1.0, Version 1.1 includes key new features, including: an enhanced Store Manager for ease in building and maintaining an electronic storefront; encrypted URLs to hold user state type information as alternatives to cookies; seamless integration with TanData's Internet shipping and handling software; and double byte language support for global-based solutions. Using the Network Computing Architecture, Internet Commerce Server is the first truly scalable, secure, open and highly customizable commerce product in the marketplace. Oracle Internet Commerce Server benefits from the performance and scalability of Oracle8 and Oracle Application Server, which provide an extensible platform on which to build Internet Commerce solutions. This also enables seamless integration with offerings from companies such as Cybercash, Verifone, taxware, Tandata and Portland Software, that have created cartridges for extended functionality for payment services, shipping and handling, tax calculation and soft goods delivery.

		IBM, Lotus, NFIB fund e-com solutions IBM, Lotus and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have announced the e- business Development for Growing Enterprises (eDGE) fund. The $1 million eDGE fund is a program to fund the development and deployment of Lotus Domino-based e-business solutions for small and mid-size businesses. Details on the program can be found on the eDGE fund Web page at http://developmentfund.nfibonline.com. Through the eDGE fund, independent software vendors (ISVs), including Lotus Business Partners, IBM BESTeam Business Partners and IBM Solution Developer Program members, can apply for a grant of up to $75,000 each. The grant, in turn, will be used to develop solutions to help small and mid-size businesses conduct business on the Internet, allowing them to compete more effectively in today's global marketplace. IBM, Lotus and NFIB together will solicit and review proposals from ISVs; IBM will then determine the grant recipients and the amount of each grant. Grants will be awarded for solutions in any industry or application area but will be determined by the potential business benefit of the solution to small and mid-size companies. The thoroughness of the project plan, including development timelines, will also be a factor. ISVs are software developers that create and market software solutions. Within the Lotus and IBM BESTeam Business Partner community, there are thousands of ISVs that are trained and certified across the entire Lotus product spectrum and are developing solutions based on those products. The solutions can be specific to one industry, such as retail or health care, or specific to a function that applies across industry lines, such as sales force automation or human resources. Applications are available beginning today on the eDGE fund Web site, which can also be accessed through the NFIB, Lotus and IBM Web sites. Proposals for the first round of grants will be solicited from this date through February 28, 1998, and recipients will be announced in March. Subsequent awards from the $1 million fund will be made quarterly. Details on selected proposals, including the ISV contact information and solution overview, will be posted on the eDGE fund Web site. To qualify for grants issued under this program, developers and Business Partners must work with Lotus Domino, an application and messaging server with a set of services that enables users to create secure, interactive business solutions for corporate intranets, extranets and the Internet that fully interoperate with Internet standards-based products.

		HP, AX offer secure Web transactions Hewlett-Packard Company and American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., have announced ExpressVault, a new electronic-commerce (e-commerce) program designed to allow merchants to conduct business over the Internet quickly and securely. ExpressVault combines HP's computing and security technologies with American Express' payment processing system. The ExpressVault program utilizes HP Domain Internet Servers running either HP-UX or Microsoft Windows NT and VirtualVault, a secure hosting environment for Web front-ends based on an operating system that protects Web content and internal corporate databases. It is combined with the integrated shopping and payment solution recently announced by American Express and Mercantec. Merchants using ExpressVault initially will be able to run their online storefronts via one of two Internet service providers, EarthLink Network, Inc. or MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. ExpressVault makes it easy for merchants to add online commerce features to new or existing Web sites; protects transaction, database and Web-site information against unauthorized access; and provides real-time processing for both American Express and bank-card transactions. The ExpressVault program, using the American Express/Mercantec e-commerce solution, is compliant with the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, a technology that greatly reduces the security risks for Internet-based transactions. Future versions are slated to support the more advanced Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) protocol when that technology is fully available. HP and American Express are offering their e-commerce program to American Express' network of merchants. Several merchants are currently using the solution. Widespread distribution is planned for early 1998. Information about ExpressVault can be found at http://www.hp.com/go/ExpressVa.

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