Implementing E-Commerce: What is Required?

This brief article does not cover all the details, but it will arm you with enough knowledge to keep consultants from raking you over the coals. Specifically, let's examine hardware requirements.

Without hardware you can't get there. Hardware is required to develop and update your web site, to host the web site and to connect to the Internet. To develop and update your web site, a PC or Apple computer will suffice. While processor speed is important, adequate Random Access Memory (RAM) and hard-drive Storage space are more critical. Current applications are memory hogs. A minimum of 64 MBs (megabytes) of RAM is recommended. If you plan to run 3 or more applications simultaneously go with 128 MBs.

Storage space is also critical. If you load Microsoft 98, MS Office and MS Front page, you will find that you have consumed over 400 MBs of space. After you load other applications, create a couple of files and databases, you will find that a 1Gigabyte hard disk is not enough. Most computers today come with a 4Gigabyte hard disks. If you plan to do any video, go for a larger hard disk. You will also find that backing up information on floppy disks is too time consuming, go with a Jazz or Zip drive. You may go with a "write-able" CD ROM, but keep in mind that you can only store the information once on some CDs.

You can use a PC or Apple computer to host your site. If your web site is successful however, you may not have enough computer resources to do other things, like updating your web site and downloading customer information. Unless you have an understanding of the fine art of managing traffic on a web server, you may want to have someone else do the hosting. Business web site hosting services are provided by most Internet Service Providers or by Internet yellow pages providers, such as Bell Atlantic's Big Yellow Pages.

Access to the Internet can be obtained via telephone lines, cable modems or Digital Subscriber Loop (such as ADSL, HDSL or XDSL) service. If you are going to host your own web site, you will need 24 hour per day, 7 day per week (24X7) access to the Internet. Using a regular telephone line for 24X7 access to the Internet, however, can be costly and frustrating to potential customers trying to reach you via phone. Add a dedicated line for this activity. The best telephone lines have a maximum rate of 56 kbps. At this speed you will loose more customers then you will gain. Telephone lines are fine if all you need to do is access your remote web site for occasional changes. But consider using high-speed lines (see below) with faster services, such as DSL.

Cable modems offer higher throughput than telephone lines. In the short term they can be a good alternative. Yet, as more people in your neighborhood jump on cable modems shared technology, your Internet service with begin to slow down dramatically.

As high speed DSL telephone service becomes more readily available, it will be the best alternative for 24x7 Internet access. It will also come in handy as your need for downloading and updating web site information increases. The speeds range from 314 kbs to 9 Mbps. You receive consistent speed and no chance of interference from neighbors who may want to download music or video from the Internet.

So, the first steps in getting your business's web site up consist of setting up your computer and accessing the network. Get a feel for how often you will need to make updates and download web information. Shop around for the service that best meets these requirements.