Review a local e-commerce site: AirAsia

The website I have chosen to review is Airasia. This is website that allows people to buy low fare ticket from the website to fly over another destination.


AirAsia has been expanding rapidly since 2001, to become the largest low cost carrier in Asia. AirAsia is able to flies to over 61 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 72 aircrafts. From the website, we easily can check the time and the place whether is available or not.

We can buy the airticket through the website. First, we choose the destination and the date from the website. After that, it will list out the suitable flight time. After we choose the right flight time, we need to write down our personal detail, like name, identity card number, add address. After those steps, we need to pay up the airticket fees. It accepts the payment by master or visa credit and debit card. We have to write the card number, cardholder name, expire date and cardverification number (CVN). At last, we will get the flight itinerary. When the day we flight, we just only need bring our identity card to the airport then we can get our ticket from the Airasia counter.
Reference:
1. http://www.airasia.com/site/my/en/home.jsp
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_asia

E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far and citizen's adoption strategies

Various countries are implementing electronic government, generally known as 'e-government' include Malaysia. E-government is the use of information and communication technologies in public administration combined with organisational change and new skills to improve public services and democratic processes and to strengthen support to public policies.

Malaysia's huge e-government http://www.gov.my/ initiative began in 1997 with the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor's E-Government Flagship Application.

The e-government implementation in Malaysia:

1. Language barrier - Some of the government websites stil using Bahasa Malaysia although some of it has change to English.
2. Technological barrier - Lack of technical infrastructure.
3. Online behaviour - Malaysians remain sceptical on being distrust on electronic transaction especially on online banking buying from an Internet store.
4. Lack of public awareness - Public are not aware of the services offered.

Strategies fotr citizen to adopt e-government:

1. Provide websites with multiple language version.
2. Increase awareness through TV and radio advertisements, and organising workshops at shopping malls.
3.Provide consultation services on how to use those services.

4. Simplify procedures needed to access to the e-government services.

Reference :

http://www.mait.com/admin/enews_images/MAIT%20Country%20Intelligence%20eNews96_37.pdf

http://www.american.edu/initeb/ym6974a/egovernment.htm

http://www.gov.my/MyGov/BI/Directory/Citizen/

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies.

A corporate blog is published by the organization with an aim to reach the organizational goals. There are two common types of the corporate blog which are internal blog and external blog. External blogs provide a mean for the organization to communicate with their customer at personal level. Blogs are actually an efficient and fast way to have discussion with customers, share tips or even collect the feedback from them. It may then return with the continuous performance improvement of the company.

Besides, the external blogs may also be useful in building trust and strengthening relationship among business partner. It actually encourage communication and allow businesses more easily reach their customers, develop stronger relationships and brand loyalty with its customers . Furthermore, external blog may also be used in testing an idea or even a product. Before the idea or product is being published in the market, organization can allow a positive way of getting feedback, and better understanding towards customers' needs and also their interest and acceptance of product or idea can be collected.

Whereby, the internal blog can be used as tools for internal collaboration and knowledge management. The project leader or manager can keep their report up-to-date through the internal blog without wasting their time in writing the report. As for the knowledge management, the workers or employees may use the internal blogs to find out the information and resources they needed. Blogging also serve as the on- job-learning tools where the employees can learn more job-related knowledge that shared by the organization through the blogs.

A successful corporate blogging may lead to the increase in sales, better performance and also closer relationship with either the customers or the business partners. As compare to other communication strategies, blogging is relatively much more cheaper. Therefore, it becomes more common within the organization as new marketing communication tool.

Definitely, corporate blogging also have some limitation. In most if the case, People may be talking out of the topic or may use blogs to write negatively about the company which can lead to bad publicity. Beside that if a blog failed to comply with all applicable local, national and foreign requirements for doing business, it can lead to legal liabilities. When the degree of openness is low in the organization, the blog tends to represent an anonymous corporate identity.

To read more regarding corporate blogging, click the following links: http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/06/30/most-corporate-blogs-are-unimaginative-failures/

http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/28/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm

http://www.helium.com/items/254062-the-pros-and-cons-of-corporate-blogging

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them to bid, taking bids, and then selling item to the winner bidder. In economic theory, an auction may refer to any mechanism or set of trading rules for exchange.





The following are some e-auction prevention:

1. User Identity Verification
They are offering their social security number, driver’s license number, and the date of birth.

2. Authentication Service
It is a way of determining whether an item is genuine and described appropriately.

3. Spoof (fraudulent) Web site Protection
It is enable members to protect their accounts by indicating when they are on the site.

4. Item verification
It is a way of confirming the identity and evaluating the condition of an item through verification.

5. Physical Inspection
It is providing for a physical inspection can eliminate many problems.

6. Feedback forum
It allows buyers and sellers to build up their online trading reputations. It provides user with ability to comment on their experiences with other.

7. Appraisal Services
Appraisers use a variety of methods to appraise items.

8. Grading services
It is a way of determining the physical condition of an item such as “poor quality” or “mint condition” and so on.

9. Escrow services
It is a service that provided when either the buyer or seller feels the need for additional security when there is a big amount during payment

10. Insurance policy
It is a way of providing a protection for the online customers during e-auction.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction

Mobile payment systems in Malaysia: Its potentials and consumers’ adoption strategies

What is Mobile Payment System?

Mobile payments (also known as mobile web payments or WAP billing) are a collection of money from consumer via a mobile device such as their mobile phone, Smartphone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or any other devices.

The mobile payment can be used to purchase any number of digital goods and physical goods. For example digital goods are ring tones, games, wallpaper for mobile phone and the booking cinema ticket and air ticket. Usually purchase digital good are through by SMS based transaction payments or mobile web payment (WAP).

In Malaysia companies like Maxis and Celcom, they provide this kind of services by selling caller ringtone, true tone, and some wallpaper on their websites. In certain times they also send messages to their user to sell some concert ticket, some promotion as well.

Potentials
The market for Mobile is large, because it is very convenient to use mobile payment. This mobile payment is still under developing in Malaysia. It has potential to continue to grow as consumer’s confidence on mobile payment increased. Mobile payment providers have most potential for growing.

To put it simple:
1. Market still at developing stage
2. Many mobile phone users
3. Low competition

Strategies:
1. Educate consumers about mobile payments, how to use and introduce its functions (e.g. bill payment, mobile purchase)
2. Enhance security and confidence to mobile users
3. Collaborate with more banks and companies to widen the ability to pay via mobile at the same time it helps to increased customer’s satisfaction and confidence

4. Maintain customer’s loyalty

Reference:

• http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci772807,00.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_payment
• http://www.mymode.com.my/html/new/index.jsp

The application of pre-paid cash card for consumers

What is a prepaid card?

The prepaid card is far from a new idea. How many of us have used a prepaid gift card or a prepaid mobile phone SIM card? The concept is basically the same. A prepaid card looks like a credit or debit card, and gives users the ability to purchase products and services with a card but with a crucial difference - you can only spend the balance that has been preloaded onto the card. This means there is no risk of running into debt as it has no credit or overdraft facility.

How do they work?

Money can be loaded on to a prepaid card by cash at a bank, Post Office, at Payzone or PayPoint terminals, bank transfer, through your employer or even by another credit card. When using for purchasing at a high street store, they work in exactly the same way as a credit or debit card - you simply hand the card to the cashier. You will be asked to enter your PIN number (supplied with the card) on an electronic keypad or to sign a payment slip so your signature can be matched with that on the back of the card (if there is no Chip on the card). The total amount will be taken from your card immediately and the transaction is complete.

Touch n Go is one of the example of prepaid cash card as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). It is an electronic purse that are design to be used at all highways in Malaysia, major public transports in Klang Valley, selected parking sites and theme park. Touch ‘n Go uses contactless smartcard technology. This card are looks similar to a credit card. User can continue using the card as long as it is pre-loaded with electronic cash. User can reload the card at toll plazas, train stations, Automated Teller Machines, Cash Deposit Machines, Petrol kiosks and at authorised third party outlets. Touch ‘n Go enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, it is also very convenient because user no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.

Another example of prepaid cash card in Singapore is Ez-link card. This card introduced for use on the MRT, LRT and public buses, the ez-link card is now increasingly being used in all sectors of retail from leisure to dining to shopping. It is truly Singapore 's first contactless Multi-purpose Stored Value (MPSV) card. Being contactless, not only is the card convenient to use, transaction time is kept to a minimum nearly approximately 0.2 per second. This feature of the ez-link card makes it the logical choice for use in applications that require fast, secure and accurate transactions.

References :
http://www.touchngo.com.my/

http://www.octopuscards.com/consumer/en/index.jsp

http://www.ezlink.com.sg/

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/cards/prepaid-cards-guide1.asp

Electronic currency

"The money screamed across the wires, its provenance fading in a maze of electronic transfers, which shifted it, hid it, broke it up into manageable wads which would be withdrawn and redeposit elsewhere, obliterating the trail." by Linda Davies, Nest of Vipers, a banking thriller.
Electronic currency refers to money or scrip which is exchanged only electronically. Typically, this involves use of computer networks, the internet and digital stored value systems. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and direct deposit are examples of electronic money.

Public-key cryptography and digital signatures (both blind and non-blind signatures) make electronic currency possible. It would take too long to go into detail how public-key cryptography and digital signatures work. But the basic gist is that banks and customers would have public-key encryption keys. Public-key encryption keys come in pairs. A private key known only to the owner, and a public key, made available to everyone. Whatever the private key encrypts, the public key can decrypt, and vice verse.Banks and customers use their keys to encrypt (for security) and sign (for identification) blocks of digital data that represent money orders. A bank "signs" money orders using its private key and customers and merchants verify the signed money orders using the banks widely published public key. Customers sign deposits and withdraw using their private key and the bank uses the customer's public key to verify the signed withdraws and deposits.


Reference:
1. http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/emoney.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_money