Literature Review Of Mph Bookstore Information Technology Essay
For this section, it is all about the literature review on MPH bookstore with E-commerce system which is commonly used in today businesses network environment, their strengths and to achieve information on its history and how businessman operate their business with current architecture. The author will develop an E-commerce system for enchant the web login.
1.2 History of MPH Bookstore
In 1815, MPH Bookstores has originally roots when William Milne, a young pioneer, starts a lasting mission enter in Malacca. The establishment migrated to Singapore when 1890 with the environmental objective of printing literature.
During 1906, the organization change into the Methodist Publishing House. In 1927, it was formed into a legal corporation as Malaya Publishing House after it became a public listed company. According to the notification of the Malaysian nation in 1963, the company moved its name to Malaysia Publishing House with new bookstores were available in Malaysia (Penang, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur). To the public, Malaysia Publishing House as known as MPH.
In 1972, Jack Chia from Hong Kong acquired MPH. However, MPH became known as Jack Chia-MPH Ltd. In March 2000, current Company changed its name into MPH Ltd in March 2000 to throw back the different in its majority ownership since 1998. MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd was 100% owned by MPH Group Pte Ltd which in turn was a controlled by a holding of MPH Ltd, the public company revealed on the stock exchange of Singapore.
In 2002, Malaysian company owned MPH Bookstores (S) Pte Ltd, Jalinan Inspirasi Sdn Bhd, which is part of a large Malaysian conglomerate owned by Malaysian businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. However, MPH becomes a entirely Malaysian-owned company. As the MPH group (Jalinan Inspirasi) to throw back its core businesses and it now owns MPH Bookstores (Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia), MPH Distributors (Singapore and Malaysia). (mphonline, 2009)
1.3 MPH Bookstores Business Operation
Figure 1 this is example of MPH bookstores online
On wholly MPH Bookstores website, the ways they implement their e-business are to allow the consumer can get the latest book with cheaper prices and free delivery services. To register as their memberships, consumer can register directly through the official website. The site contains a shopping cart, order from listing products or services selected and credit card payment. At the same time, to make it become more attractive, they offered consumer may get the latest release books, cheaper prices for online transactions, and on the spot view the catalogue or information. With e-commerce system that provided by MPH bookstores, consumers will now have the ability to enjoy their services in better way. The prices displayed from the official website were no different with physical bookstores.
For the delivery stage, for West Malaysia delivery it takes from 3 to 5 business days, for East Malaysia it takes within 14days and also available for globally. If the consumers received the books were damaged, MPH bookstore policy allows for a refund. However, the policy requires that the damaged book be returned to the following address within 7 days from the date of receipt of the book. Besides that, the objectives of this business operation are cause visitors to come to a place or participate in a venture by offering something of interest or advantage. If the MPH bookstore runs out of stock, consumers can order book from MPH online for Rm4 postage, if order above RM80 it will free delivery.
1.3.1 What should consumers do if they forget their password?
Consumers require clicking on the “Forget Password” option, and then enter in your user Id and password. You will be prompted for an answer to the question of your choice. Once the answer is justified, the forgotten password will be displayed on the website.
1.3.2 What are the standard browser versions?
MPH bookstores online is preferred with “Internet Explorer 6.0” and above.
Technology infrastructure for E-business system
E-business infrastructure is vital to all companies adopting e-business. The infrastructure directly affects the quality of service experienced of users of the systems in terms of speed and responsiveness. E-business infrastructure refers to the combination of hardware such as servers and client PC in an organization, the network used to link this hardware and the software applications used to deliver services to workers within the e-business and also to its partners and customers. Infrastructure also includes the architecture of the networks, hardware and software and where it is located. Finally, infrastructure can also be considers to include the date and documents accessed through e-business applications.
Introduction of E-commerce
Now we are survive in an eagerness age of human innovation, where only one generation can witness very great shifts in technology and way of life. E-commerce not only just big, is also major refer to selling, services and buying products over internet or computer networks. Millions of companies that selling products to other companies have bring out that the Web not only provides a 24hours services and show that their products can reach a quick way to reach the right people in a company for the complete detail.(Ecommerce Definition,2006)
2.1.1 The E-commerce marketplace
In this section we look at how electronic communications have changed relationships between the different participants of commercial transactions. Since the nature of these changes according to whether the transaction is between business and consumer or between businesses (inter-organizational, we start by reviewing differences between these types of transactions. We then look at how the channel structures of organizations have been changed through the process of disintermediation and reinter mediation. Locations for trading and mechanisms of commercial exchange in the electronic marketplace are then reviewed. Management terms have difficult decisions to take about which of these new models of trading is relevant to them, so we questioning approach, looking at some examples that have worked and some that haven’t it.
2.1.2 Benefits of Ecommerce
Ecommerce enables people to go in businesses without the longer movement of time or distance. E-commerce systems can operate all day every day, once consumers access to the Internet at any point of time whenever day or night and purchase or sell anything one desires through the mouse clicking. The internet braces the world market through web businesses operate is the global market and wide. However it is possible to run business with any business or people who are connected to the Internet. For simple local businesses, as specialist record stores are enabling to market and selling using e-commerce. This is the current global opportunity is attend to the fact, different from traditional communications methods, users are not allow to charged according to the distance over which they are communicating.
2.2 Identify the e-business development
Nowadays, as we discovered on Electronic business, it play a major role in the current world’s economy. Business development is a combination of marketing, strategic analysis, trade, regular occupation and sales. To perform your organization and business development being successful and greater is reliant on better knowledge of management theories and regular practice.
Business development professional occupation is typically to identify new business opportunities whether that means latest markets, partnerships with other businesses, proper ways to reach existing markets, and product or service offerings to better meet the needs of existing markets and then to go out and make full use of those opportunities to bring in more revenue.
Business development professionals are able to connect in everything to the development of their employers’ services and products. (E-business development, 2003)
2.3 Study on the innovations of e-commerce system
The maturation ubiquity of current information technology is enabling the development of advanced services which consumers can access with existing devices such as computers or mobile phones. One of the innovations of e-commerce has affected the way people buy goods, services, choice, convenience and cost. Consumers may wish to give their own impressions of such sites, but better grades may be secured where further research is carried out, for example consumer surveys. It may also be possible to gain an insight into the benefits of using such websites through contact with e-commerce businesses. Second, consumers should be encourages to use the correct technical terminology in all the brief reports or descriptions produced for this unit. It is expected that higher grade consumers will use the correct terminology in their reports and will also produce more considered reports rather than one example of a benefit and/or limitation as would be expected for pass consumers.
2.4 Management Innovation Strategies in E-commerce Era
When goes into the Era of e-commerce, business enterprises have several different features. To receive full benefits of e-commerce, enterprises should bring out appropriate management innovations. Enterprise innovation management allow helping enterprises to achieve great rate development to win over business opportunities and get opportunity to approach into markets and obtain higher profits. This stage is to investigate the new requirements on enterprise management through an e-commerce era, including occurring continuously updating thoughts of business management, flat organizational structure, management epitaxial expansion, informationization of means of production and marketing, flexible production management. Facts reveals that the business process reengineering, organizational development, creativity, cultural transformation, skill management and communication management have serious impinge on the enterprise development in terms of management and innovation. (Management Innovation Strategies in E-commerce Era, 2008)
E-Commerce Strategies
The most importance ecommerce strategy is to enforce a proper secure E-commerce website. The appropriate way to achieve this is to protect the websites with security protocols and digital certificates. Major clients are attracted to ecommerce sites because of the good security and transaction mechanism. With ecommerce web site certified from the leading online security agencies is one of good way to promote E-commerce and supply the mechanism more authenticity and the quality of being trusted.
Besides that, ensure that control the ecommerce operational specifications are brought out promptly tables and the databases are developed using programming language skills which display down all the data entry in a queue. Maintaining the record of the entire transactions which are brought out using the ecommerce mechanism can help the system to track all the complete details in more convenient and timely manner.
E-commerce site design also plays an important role in its effectiveness. The interface of E-commerce sites is generally design to be user friendly and easily operational by the consumers so that they can make the online transaction more convenient or easily and in a manner which is very clear to the clients.
Make the research on the existing websites
Study on existing website with security enhancements
Figure 2.1 this is one of the security enhancements that what Digi company had implemented. To key in username and password must through provided clicking the button provided.
Figure 2.2 this figure show the second example of security enhancements.
The figure 2.1 and 2.2 given on the top is the some part of the website of Lelong and Digi company in Malaysia how they operation their businesses.Lelong.com users can use standard or secure mode in security position. For the Digi company, they design a simple virtual keyboard on the registration webpage to avoid the data keyed by user can be protected from malicious key logger a harmful application which has been designed to capture keystrokes. Security enhancements developed for to prevent intruders go into certain network or user account to store media to view or retrieve the client information. With different security features implemented, users might attract with those security development.
3.2 Investigate the Security Issue
3.3 Digital Signatures and Certificates
A digital signature is a common a way to enable that an electronic document (e-mail, spreadsheet or text file, etc.) is authentic. Authentic refer to that you know who created the document and know that it has not been changed in any way since that person created it.
Digital signatures bound on several types of encryption to enable the authentication. Encryption is the process of data taken of computer, when sending to another computer and encoding it into a form that only the destination computer will be able to decode. Authentication is to process of ensure that information is coming from a trusted source.
There are several ways to authenticate a person or information on a computer:
Password
The function of username and password provide the most usual method of authentication. Users can key in their name and password when prompted by the computer. It checks the username and password against a secure file to confirm. If either the username or password does not match with default registered, then users are not allowed further access.
Checksum
Possible only one of the origin methods of ensuring that data is accurate, checksums will provide a form of authentication when the wrong checksum suggests that the data has been compromised. The checksum is remaining in one of two ways. Assume the checksum of packet is around 1 byte long, which means that it can provide a maximum value of 255. If either the sum in other bytes in the packet is 255 or less then, then the checksum will contains that exact value. Yet if the sum of other bytes is more than 255, so the checksum is the remainder of the total value after it has been divided by 256. The example given for following page:
Byte 1
Byte 2
Byte 3
Byte 4
Byte 5
Byte 6
Byte 7
Byte 8
Total
Checksum
212
232
54
135
244
15
179
80
1151
127
1151 divided by 256 equals 4.496 (round to 4)
Multiply 4 X 256 which equals 1024
1151 minus 1024 equals 127
3.4 Digital certificates
To enforce the public key encryption on a large scale, such as a secure Web server might need, requires a different approach. This is where digital certificates come in. A digital certificate is basically a bit of information that says the Web server is trusted by self-reliant source as known as a Certificate Authority. The Certificate Authority pretends as the agent that both computers trust. It ensures that each computer is in fact who they say they are and then provides the public keys for each computer.
3.5 Secure Socket Layers (SSL)
In network environment, SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer.” SSL is a protocol that developed for sending information securely over the Internet. Many websites use SSL for secure for their sites, such as user account pages and online checkout. Usually, when you are asked to “log on” on a website, the consequent page is secured by SSL.
SSL encrypts the data being transmitted so that a third party cannot retrieve while the transmission and view the data being transmitted. Only the administrator and the secure server are able to recognize the data. SSL help to keeps information such like name, address, and credit card between users and merchant to which users are providing it. Without this kind of protocol, online shopping would be far too insecure to be practical. When you view a Web address starting with “http or https” indicates the website is secure. These websites frequent using SSL certificates to verify their authenticity.
3.6 Virtual Keyboard for Web Interface
Figure 3 this is the layout of virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard development is to increase the security for those users had their own user account for several E-commerce services website by entering the username and password. Besides that, the virtual keyboard login is an application in which a data entry layout will change once the page is refreshed. In general, virtual keyboard can help protect from malicious Spywares and Trojan Programs designed to capture keystrokes. Consequently, you can reduce risk of use and allow secure and safer authentication.
Chapter 4: System Analysis
4.1 Fact-Finding
Fact-finding is the method that used for the system developers to collect the information from groups or individuals. In this method, the analyst sits face to face with people’s and records their feedback or responses. As the interviewer, they can clear and cross check the doubts there itself by collected information with accurate and reliable. Through the fact-finding, it would make their business requirements such as good understanding of the organization and its business objectives.
4.2 User requirement
4.2.1 System Administrator
The duty of system administrator usually plays an important role to managing the information, installing, updating, supporting and maintaining serves for computer systems. For this section, the proposed system administrator is responsible to manage the books information, tag prices and quantity arrangement for consumers.
Input /Modify the control
Administrator allows change the information, uploading the photo or catalogue, updating and responding to service outages and other problems.
Maintaining the server performance and efficiency.
Output
The catalogue, book titles, prices, and information will show.
Process
Processing the Storage
Locate the information of books ,CD or DVD or prices in the database
Performance
None
4.2.2 MPH bookstores consumers
The consumers will frequently enter the MPH bookstores official websites to view the latest updates and information’s such as promotion or new release. The reason why of MPH launched this online shopping or e-business is to make their consumers shopping with more convenient way.
Input
Click on the option and it will automatically add to the cart.
Output
Login Username and Password/ forgot your password option.
The proposed system will display the appropriate information of the books once the consumers had selected through the options that available on website interface.
Process
The book information or prices label will get directly from the database.
Control
None
Performance
None
Chapter 5.0 Choose on appropriate tools or software
5.1Overview
For this chapter, the author had review on available tools on the internet is performed in order to select suitable tools to be used to develop the system.
5.2 Study on available development software.
5.2.1 Java
Figure 4.1 this is interface of java programming language
Java is a high-level programming language that developed by Sun Microsystems. Java was originally called OAK, it was develop for several proposes such like handheld devices and set-top boxes. Oak was unsuccessful so in 1995 Sun changed the name to Java and modified the language to take benefits of the burgeoning World Wide Web.
Java is an object-oriented language which is similar to C++, but simplified to get rid of language features that cause common programming errors. Java source code files (a .java extension) are compiled into a format called byte code (files with a .class extension), which can then be performed by a Java interpreter. Compiled Java code can execute on most computers because Java interpreters and runtime environments, known as Java Virtual Machines (VM), available for major operating systems, including Windows OS, the Macintosh OS, and UNIX/LINUX. Byte code able to converted directly into machine language instructions by using just-in-time compiler (JIT).
In general, the purpose of java programming language with a number of features those make the language suitable for use on the World Wide Web. Small Java applications are called Java applets and able downloaded from a Web server and execute your computer by a Java-compatible Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Netscape Navigator.
5.2.2 ASP.NET
Figure 4.2 this is interface of asp.net programming language
ASP.NET, the next version of ASP, is a programming framework used to create enterprise-class Web Applications. These applications are accessible on a global basis leading to efficient information management. Microsoft has been continuously working to shift its focus from Windows-based platforms to the Internet. As a result, Microsoft introduced ASP (Active Server Pages) in November 1996. ASP offered the efficiency of ISAPI applications along with a new level of simplicity that made it easy to understand and use. However, ASP script was an interpreted script and essentially unstructured code and was difficult to debug and maintain. The web contain many different technologies, software integration for Web development was complicated and required to understand many different technologies. An application grew bigger in size and became more complex, the number of lines of source code in ASP applications increased attractive and was difficult to maintain. Therefore, the architecture was needed that would allow development of Web applications in a structured and consistent way. (Asp.net, 2004)
5.2.3 Visual Basic.Net
Figure 4.3 this is interface of visual basic.net programming language
Microsoft-created object-oriented programming language as known as Visual Basic.NET which combines features of Microsoft’s .NET Framework and Web Services, such as SOAP, which is originally, developed using XML. Visual Basic.NET, which thought would be a “sequel” to Visual Basic 6.0, has a totally different language core. There is no backward or forward compatibility between Visual Basic 6.0 projects and code and Visual Basic.NET projects and code. Visual Basic.NET is a language developed to create .NET applications, Windows or Web applications, and Web Services. (Visual Basic, 2006)
5.3 Comparison on Java, Asp.net and Visual Basic
Java
Advantages
In general, advantages of Java are platform-independent: One of the most significant advantages of Java is its ability to move easily from one computer system to another. The ability to run the same program on many different systems is crucial to World Wide Web software, and Java succeeds at this by being platform-independent at both the source and binary levels. Java is distributed: Distributed computing involves several computers on a network working together. Java is designed to make distributed computing easy with the networking capability that is inherently integrated into it.
Disadvantages
For the performance, Java can be perceived as significantly slower and more memory-consuming than natively compiled languages such as C or C++. Java is predominantly a single-paradigm language. However, with the addition of static imports in Java 5.0 the procedural paradigm is better accommodated than in earlier versions of Java and default interface and feel of GUI design is too complicated.
ASP.NET
Advantages
The latest set of controls that are able to use in the same way with HTML control like Calendars controls. It will execute without the requirement of ActiveX Control and without bringing up issues of Browser compatibility. ASP .NET Server take over the Controls that have an object model from the traditional HTML and provide single set of properties and methods that can make the change of the outlook and behavior of the controls and reduces the amount of code required to build huge applications.
Disadvantages
The control of Asp.net coding is inbuilt with the web server controls so users have no much of direct control on these controls.
Visual Basic
Advantages
For the visual basic language, it’s simple language. Some program that might be difficult to program with other language can be done in Visual Basic very easily. It is because Visual Basic is so popular; beginner can find the answers to your programming problems much more easily than other programming languages.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of Visual Basic are powerful language, but it’s not suit for programming really sophisticated games and slower than other languages.
5.4 Study on available data management software
Microsoft SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2008 delivers on Microsoft’s Data Platform vision by helping any organization to manage data, place, and time management. It provides can store data from structured, semi-structured, and unstructured documents, such as images and rich media, directly within the database. SQL Server 2008 hand over a rich set of integrated services that enable you to do more with your data such as query, search, synchronize, report, and analyze. SQL Server 2008 provides the highest levels and advanced of security, reliability, and scalability for your applications. To take newer advantage of new opportunities in today is fast-moving into business world, companies need the capacity to create and deploy data-driven solutions quickly. SQL Server 2008 is reduces time management, cost of management and development of applications.
SQL server 2008 is able to access the data from your enterprise and provide control over your data, no matter where it’s stored from the largest servers within the data center to desktops to mobile devices. SQL Server 2008 provides a comprehensive platform that delivers intelligence where your users want it. For the Information workers can access data directly using the tools they use every day, such as the Microsoft Office system that provide by Microsoft. (MicrosoftSqlServer2008, 2010)
5.5 The chosen software to be used for the proposed system
The author selects Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as the database management system and Visual basic language design for web interface. It is because SQL Server 2008 provides the common function by helping manage the data, place and time and Visual Basic is easier to learn and popular compare with other language such as (Java or C++ ) and yet it is enough powerful programming language to develop certain system. SQL provides the highest levels of security, reliability and scalability. In other way, the reason why the author chosen the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is because it has the ability to support with the system which means that be able to connect with Visual Basic language tool that has been chosen as the development tool or software for proposed system.
REFERENCES (BACKGROUND READING MATERIALS):
MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd, 2009, “MPHonline”, online, cited on 13th Jan 2010. Available from: http://www.mphonline.com/welcome/welcome.aspx
MPH online, 2009,” About the MPH”, online, cited on 15th Jan 2010.Available from: http://www.mphonline.com/help/aboutus.aspx
Mariosalexandrou, 2010 “E-commerce definition”, online , cited on 20th Jan 2010.Available from: http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/definition/ecommerce.asp
Freetutes, 2008 “Learn Visual Basic” online, cited 15th Feb 2010. Available from http://visualbasic.freetutes.com/
Techterms, 2010 “ASP.Net” online, cited 17th Feb 2010. Available from http://www.techterms.com/definition/aspnet
Java,2010 “Definition of Java” ,cited 13th Feb 2010. Available from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=Java&i=45557,00.asp
Microsoft, 2010 “Microsoft SQL Server 2008”, cited 14th Feb 2010. Available from http://blogs.technet.com/dataplatforminsider/archive/2008/01/25/microsoft-sql-server-2008-roadmap-clarification.aspx.
Digi, 2010 “Online Customer Service”, cited 22th Feb 2010. Available from https://www.digi.com.my/sso/try_login?v=1&pid=2&pssid=379e2d9011216b706f93f84247ce3e88baca7d3150cd33bfdb5f6c01e0699d4d&prid=19a30572366f1c0df3b4cea76759a1af&purl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digi.com.my%2Focs%2Fmyaccount%2Fmain%2Fhome.do%3Fssologin%3Dtrue&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digi.com.my