HOME | INFOTECH | HEADLINES |
August 27, 1998 |
'We've a long way to go'iPass chief Chris Moore tells Madhuri Velegar K about the future of e-commerce.How do you define e-commerce? There are going to be two parts to this. For a human being, there's a process of requesting a proposal, sorting out the bits. Where it's an automated process, much of what happens behind my machine makes me decide on my lead time and reduces my costs immediately.
Do you think it necessary to look at e-commerce from the two perspectives of being on the web and off the web, or do you think a more unified approach should be taken? What are the competing standards of e-commerce security and protocols today? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Could you do some visionary stuff and tell us about emerging trends in e-commerce? It's a space so specific to large commercial transactions that it's hard to think about it in a visionary way. It's like a rock pit, if you will. We all need rocks with instructions, not necessarily with rock pits -- but it's a bit like my business in iPass. We're never an example like that -- we have a very specific commerce function: that is, buying and selling Internet access between ISPs and the settlements of those transactions.
What about security in your business? Do you think Microsoft Wallet, Navio operating system or other similar gadgets will become popular in the future? I feel sort of lost -- I left my device, Nino Windows CE Intel device (my calendar etc is all in it) -- back home. It's funny that we think that's competing but the direct competition for the device is not the computer but your pen and paper. And the Windows CE provides a lot of functions. It does not require a user manual. That's the hands off pen and paper vs $ 350 of Nino. I just bought this for all my executive staff who were used to the paper calendar. It allows you to schedule meetings, keep info up to date a lot better than a paper calendar.
What percentage of transactions are done over the Internet today? How fast is it growing? How did you come upon the iPass strategy? What elements motivated you to gain control over Internet access, on its backbone? Hotel connections were expensive, calling cards were expensive and complicated and there was a fear of being cut off 20 times before you finished. So I thought of this as a business which like to call "passes the elevator test". By the time it takes the elevator to reach the top, I get the message -- and here's where people say, "I need that."
How do you see the growth of the Internet in India? In terms of absolute users or dollars, we don't know. We're very impressed with the government's emphasis on helping technology all over the country and to see that India is completely in the front in the Internet age. It's hard to gauge. We're happy to be talking about the Internet now; we've met so many people who have great plans...
Do you think e-cash will come in? What are the future plans of iPass? Any business ventures that you are getting into? We'll be connected with Microland -- it's a technology tie-up -- as service providers. It will be the first time that this product will be used outside the USA. We're positive it will be an exciting product because of the businesses here which are more dependent on email. This technology will give them quicker access at a lower cost. We're always trying to expand our roaming Internet access points in whichever area we find. |
HOME |
NEWS |
BUSINESS |
CRICKET |
MOVIES |
CHAT
INFOTECH | TRAVEL | LIFE/STYLE | FREEDOM | FEEDBACK |