Internet security leader, VeriSign, today re-launched its Personal Identity Portal (PIP). The free beta service is a single sign-on solution simplifying the sign-in process for Web users across multiple sites. It supports OpenID which VeriSign is a provider for as well as direct sign in sites. Users register for a PIP account (which generates an OpenID url) and create a one-click sign-in, install the one-click bookmark onto their browser, and go to the sign in page of any participating site and click the on-click bookmark to automatically sign in. Users are required to log into the PIP More»

Labels: online security, online services

A new report by the University of Michigan has uncovered significant security problems with online banking and financial web sites.
The flaws stemmed from the flow and the layout of the sites. For example, nearly half of the banks were found to have placed secure login boxes on insecure pages, putting customers at risk of hitting spoofed pages.
Fifty-five percent of the sites were found to have contact information and security advice on insecure pages, which could allow an attacker to change an address or phone number that could be used to gather More»

Labels: online services, web design

To go shopping these days, more Americans are trading in their car keys for a keyboard, according a report in the New York Times.
Consumers are increasingly turning online to conduct their shopping, as gas prices rise. Retailers such as Gap, Victoria’s Secret and J. C. Penney are experiencing double-digit sales growth at their web sites. Some retailers are even offering free shipping to lure customers.
“With gas being such an issue, we know that mall traffic is down more than off-mall traffic,” said Mike Boylson, More»

Labels: online services

Dimdim a company that offers free web conferencing announced that it has raised $6 million in a second round of funding. The concept is similar to WebEx, but free. Dimdim offers all the basic tools that you’d expect from a web meeting service, including a collaborative whiteboard, desktop sharing, audio and video. It doesn’t have too many bells and whistles.
Dimdim can take web meetings out of just the corporate world and make them a broader tool for communication. (My favorite example is still the person in Florida More»

Labels: Collaboration, online services, webex

Microsoft’s today unveiled pricing for cloud computing services starting from low as $3 per user per month. For the $3 a user will get access to Microsoft-hosted Exchange and SharePoint. Users who want the complete Microsoft-hosted Business Productivity Online suite — Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online (for instant-messaging and presence) and Office Live Meeting — will be able to subscribe for $15 per user per month. The service is targeted at big companies and growing businesses. Microsoft is moving aggressively to meet the requirements today’s workforce before Google starts chipping More»

Labels: google, Microsoft, online services, saas, Web Apps

According to Harvard associate professor Anita Elberse the The Long Tail popularized by Chris Anderson is flawed. It was a compelling idea: In the digitized world, there’s more money to be made in niche offerings than in blockbusters. The data tell a different story. The report analyzes the implications for retailers and marketers and how they can prosper from the phenomenon.

The Shape of Consumption
A Taste for Obscurity?
Implications for Strategy
Advice to Producers
Advice to Retailers
Who Will Prosper?

Related: Turning The Long More»

Labels: online services, the long tail

Microsoft announced the launch an all-in-one security and productivity software subscription service for consumers called Equipt that combines Microsoft Office and Windows Live OneCare. There service will be sold through Circuit City starting in this month. The service will cost $69.99 for a one-year subscription. Each subscription will be good for three home computers.
According to Ina Fried of CNET, the idea behind the subscription service is to convert more new PC buyers into Office buyers. It plays on the fact that although most people don’t buy Office at the same More»

Labels: Microsoft, online services, web security

eBay announced the launch of a new services for sellers and developers. The services expand the reach for sellers with a new platform, new APIs and a new way for to get in front of eBay sellers.
The new platform initiatives are significant in that they enable developers even more opportunities to make more money with eBay. The program gives developers access to all the data that eBay’s existing online app for medium- and large-scale retailers. EBay estimates that their developer program currently has 70,000 members who have created approximately 12,000 live applications.
“We’re announcing opening More»

Labels: API, Community Marketing, developers, eBay, online services

New online exchanges are allowing small businesses to hedge against earthquakes and catastrophes the same way big business has done for years. Companies such as Weatherbill.com and Stormexchange.com buy large contracts and sell them in smaller chucks at prices that are affordable to small business.
Priceline.com recently a deal where the company will refund money to buyers of its vacation packages if it rains more than a half an inch a day during half or more of the holiday. Priceline can afford to do so, by using financial products that hedge against extremes in heat, More»

Labels: online services, priceline.com, weatherbill.com

Barack Obama’s campaign spent $3.5 million on web advertising between January and April. Of that $2.8 million was spent on Google according to Federal Election Commission filings by Obama for America.

It is estimated that as much as $3 billion could be spent by political campaigns on all forms of advertising. The Obama campaign deployed a mix of pay for performance and display ads on Yahoo, Specific Media, Pulse360, Microsoft’s DrivePM, AOL’s Quigo and CNN. Spending for other candidates were not available.
Below is a break down of publicly available spending related to online advertising More»

Labels: barack obama, Online Advertising, online services