What you will need to setup your electronic store?

One of the ways in which the Internet is said to have revolutionized the world of business is that it has lowered the barriers of entry. In cyberspace you can open up a shop without paying rent for premises. You can put your company’s name in front of a global audience without spending a penny on advertising. You can even like with other businesses to create, in effect, a worldwide sales team at no extra cost. However, while property, advertising and sales staff may be optional extras, there are some things you really can not be without in the e-business era. First and foremost, you will need a computer.

A computer
Although the Internet is now available via mobile phones and the TV as well as the desktop computer, a computer is still essential if you plan to do business online. The Mac/PC debate is not really that important any more. It used to be the case that if you bought a Mac, it would mean that you could not use a lot of useful business-related software. Now days, most major software packages are Mac compatible, so this is less of a problem. Personally, I use an iMac, but this decision was based on aesthetics as much as anything else.

The main issue you need to consider is that of the computer’s power. You will need a speedy computer with a lot of memory or, more specifically, random access memory (RAM). The more RAM a computer has, the better, as it will mean your computer will be able to work more quickly, support more software and crash less often than one with less RAM. Ideally, you should have a computer with at least 1GB of RAM.

A modem
You will need a modem to connect your computer to a phone line, and therefore the Internet. Increasingly, computers come equipped with internet modems, although you can still buy external ones. Essentially, most modems do the same job – the only way to tell them apart is in terms of transfer speed. This is how quickly data can be transferred into audio (analog) files and other formats. This speed is measured in kilobytes of information per second (Kbps). For business purposes, your modem should run at a minimum of 56 Kbps.

The word ‘modem’ comes from combining modulation/demodulation, which means the technical process of connection to the Internet.

A browser
A browser is the most essential piece of internet software as it allows you to browse thorough internet pages and download useful information. Without it, your computer will not be able to display web pages.

In addition, browsers include significant extras, such as email and newsreader programs. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Moszila Firefox are the most popular browsers available, and you get them free with your operating system or you can download the free.

A high-speed connection
A fast internet connection is essential if you are going to set your e-business efforts off on the right track. The arrival en masse of broadband and asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology now means that speedy and powerful internet access has become affordable for even the smallest of business. Here are the two main high-speed options:

ISDN: Standing for Integrated Service Digital Network, ISDN is available from BT and most other telephone companies around the world. ISDN is, in effect, an extra powerful phone line that can be used for faster internet access. It also means you can make a phone call and surf the web simultaneously, using the same line.

ADSL: Like ISDN, ADSL uses an upgraded phone line. However, ADSL appeared much more recently than ISDN and is potentially much more powerful. This is because an ADSL line is asymmetric, which means it focus more on data received by your computer (downloading) than data you send (uploading). This uneven upload/download balance means that downloaded images appear much more quicker and also that audio-visual elements received are of much a much better quality. As net users both home and the office trend to download more than they upload, the deliberately asymmetric nature of ADSL means there are fewer problems (more information on ADSL connection can be found at the ADSL forum on the web at www.adsl.com).