What is corporate blogging? Corporate blogging is a new marketing communication tool, called weblog that used and published by an organization to reach its strategic/organizational goals. Currently, most of the browsers (supported by RSS technology) such as Firefox, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer enables readers to easily read the posts that recently posted by organization without visiting the blog directly. There three type of corporate blog which are external, internal and CEO Blogs.

• Internal Blogs
  As its name, it is a blog that can view by employees of the organization through accessed the organization’s Intranet. The blog is communal and just allow the employees to post any comment to the blog. This can encourage employee to participate in free discussion of issues; direct communication between various layers of an organization and collective intelligence. By this, employees will have a sense of community and more commitment toward organization.
  
  Besides, it can also be used in e-mail discussions and meeting, especially for those stay in different locations or have conflicting schedules. It also can attract those individuals who may not aware or visited, to take part in the discussion to contribute their knowledge and expertise.

• External Blogs
  An external blog is weblog that is available publicly where organization’s employees, spokespersons or teams can share their views. It is used to explain and clarify policies, to announce new products or services, to react on public criticism on particular issues, or to announce new research and development in products to improve brand and organizational image. It is like an informal press release, allows a window to the organizational culture and allows any comments to be made to the posts. It can seen that the external blogs can provides a more honest and direct view about the organization than traditional communication channels, however, they are one type of public relations tools and may be biased.
  




• CEO Blogs
  Blogging among CEOs is becoming popular nowadays although there are some debates on whether CEOs have to blog or not.

Corporate blogging has become the new marketing communication tool for companies because it is a way of promoting relating to the products/services of the companies. (The posts and comments can reach and follow easily through generally structured conversation threads and centralized hosting.)

Moreover, it can be more accessible by executives since the corporate blogging are an “unparalleled information gathering mechanism”. It can reduce the costs for the organizations in searching and gathering ideas and thoughts through the blogs.

The organizations also can decrease the time in responding to employees’ or customers’ valuable and important enquiries and feedback. They can view the blogs immediately after the comments/enquiries/feedbacks being posted and interacting with customers/employees more efficiency. Through corporate blogging, customers’/employees’ satisfaction will increase as they know that their comments are concerned by the organization.

Furthermore, corporate blogging is a form of advertising for companies because customers will review and go through the blog frequently to update themselves with the new information of the companies. This has become an advertisement to customers indirectly because variety of information available in the blogs. It makes the companies easy to meet potential customers and increase their sales. Through corporate blogging, organizations are also able to enhance the trustworthiness and boost up their credentials. This is why it has become a success marketing communication tool for the companies.


However, by using corporate blogging, there are several risks for the companies. Corporate blogging might make it easy to breach information security; defamation and invasion of privacy; and loss of company confidentiality. Besides, customers/employees will expect that the companies will update the blog regularly. However, to writing a blog, companies have to spending more time and incur more costs to it which may cause the companies to incur about $800billion in productivity every year. It is very costing for the companies.

In conclusion, the corporate blogging is a very successful communication tool in delivering the message/information of the companies since it has brought more benefits even though the risks come along with it. Thus, the companies have to maintain corporate blogging by eliminating the potential risks in order to communicate effectively with their customers and employees.

The followings are the top 15 popular Corporate blogs [Tachnorati ranked]- May 2008

15 Most Popular Corporate Blogs (Technorati ranked) – May 2008
#1. Google – Authority: 8492
#2. Adobe – Authority: 1797
#3. Flickr – Authority: 1744
#4. Facebook – Authority: 1478
#5. Yahoo! Search – Authority: 1130
#6. Dell – Authority: 799
#7. Digg – Authority: 641
#8. LinkedIn – Authority: 591
#9. Ask – Authority: 364
#10. General Motors – Authority: 364
#11. Yahoo! – Authority: 297
#12. Delta – Authority: 252
#13. Kodak – Authority: 105
#14. Monster – Authority: 73
#15. Boeing – Authority: 67
Source: New PR Wiki, provides the listing of corporate blogs.






For more information about corporate blogging, can visit following website:
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/08/08/15-companies-that-really-get-corporate-blogging/
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/28/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm http://www.socialtext.net/bizblogs/index.cgi?fortune_500_business_blogging_wiki



Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_blog
http://mariosundar.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/top-15-corporate-blogs-ranked-may-2008/

This is the review after I had read one of the post regarding e-tailing, which is ‘Wal-Mart to implement product review systems’ from My E-Commerce Blog. Wal-Mart is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores.

Recently, Wal-Mart had implemented a new system for customers able to review and rate the product and merchandise through Wal-Mart’s website. The purpose of this system had been explained by the Walmart.com Chief Marketing Officer, Cathy Halligan. She said that Wal-Mart decided to launch this system is to get more feedback from customers and therefore improve their services to serve them better in the future. Amazingly, the review and rating that Wal-Mart received from customers are double the number of expectation amount.

Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest retailers, has been conduct business through e-tailing. By implement the review and rating feature, Wal-Mart makes a significant improvement by increase customers’ loyalty towards their product, merchandise, and services. Besides from that, Wal-Mart, a typical store whole seller, had also launched a new program called ‘Site-to-Store’. This program allows customers to order products through online, and then Wal-Mart will ship the products to a local Wal-Mart store for free. It gives convenience to customer to pick up their orders at the nearest Wal-Mart store that the product been sent.

Wal-Mart believes that by providing the No. 1 customer requested feature through online, it will bring benefits at the moment and in the future. For example, in the future when Wal-Mart comes to a decision on which products got the potential market to generate high sales. At that moment, Wal-Mart can interacts with customers that had posted their review or rating and based on that management is able to make an analyst and make decision on which products to place order and sell it to the customers.

So, I believe that every customers that purchase products through online always unable to express their review or suggestion due to there is no review system been provide from that particular website. That’s the reason and strategies why Wal-Mart started to implement product review systems. This is exactly what customers want. I believe Wal-Mart will improve their services at Walmart online to give customers a better experience when they purchasing through online.

References:

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-152582.html

http://www.bizreport.com/2007/07/walmartcom_launches_product_review_feature.html

Prepaid credit/cash card is a payment card pre-loaded with your own money, which you can then use wherever the payment card is acceptable. A prepaid card is not a credit facility, so you do not need to pass a credit check. Even if you have bad credit you are guaranteed to be approved for a prepaid card. Prepaid cars differs from debit card which is linked to your saving accounts and credit card where credits are extended. Its benefits include:

• Safe alternative to carrying cash – just carry a plastic card
• Keep track and control spending – Limit depends on the amount reloaded into the card. In other words, no money no talk!
• Usage – pay bill, purchase via online, withdraw cash from ATM, transfer money and etc
• Portability – usable as long as Visa/ mastercard is acceptable, depends on the type of prepaid card, Replaces traveler’s cash
• Fringe benefits – cash back programmes, points earning

Examples of application of pre-paid cash card for consumers in Malaysia are:

Tune Money Prepaid Visa Card

• First prepaid visa card targeting at students aged 18 and above
• Launched by Tune Money Sdn Bhd ( Related to AIrAsia
• Earns Tune points and has cash back program
• RM 9.99 annual fees + transaction fees per reload charges at selected bank and ATM withdrawals
• Acceptable anywhere where Visa is acceptable
• To apply, go to www.tunemoney.com/publicPageAction.do?value=page.ppc.public.cardbenefits

Red Card

• Launched by Tune Money Sdn Bhd as a complement to Tune Money Prepaid Visa Card
• Prepaid visa card in Malaysia targeting for students aged 15-17
• Works like an electronic wallet which helps parents to keep track on their teenaged kids spending
• online tracking system with online statements which makes it easy for the parents to keep close track of their children's spending.
• Only parents can apply for their teenaged kid.
• Rates are similar with Tune Money Prepaid Visa Card
  
  

AmBank NexG Prepaid Mastercard

• Launched by AmBank
• The Starter Pack currently retails at RM25 each, each starter pack carries discount and cash vouchers worth RM300 and NexG cardholders will enjoy RM10,000 free PA upon registration
• Reload Limit of RM10,000

Touch and go

• Used mainly to pay toll
• Can be used to pay for parking as it substitutes the ticket
• Usable for public transportation payment such as Rapid KL, KTM and LRT provided the machine is functional.

Prepaid calling card

• Used to make both domestic and international phone calls
• No connection nor hidden charges
• Distributed by eCallChina
  

Sources:
http://www.what-prepaid-card.co.uk/features/compare-cards-prepaid.html
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=316556

Electronic currency also can call as e-money, electronic cash, electronic money, digital money, digital cash or digital currency. It refers to money or scrip which is exchanged only electronically and this also involves use of computer networks, the internet and digital stored value systems. The examples of electronic currency are Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and direct deposit.

The use of the various types of electronic money has not experienced a considerable popularity but it is being tried out in different parts of the world. The countries are widely using this technique of electronic cash system such as Singapore and Hong Kong. This technique is basically used for debits and credits or for exchanging values either online or offline.

One of the e-currency is Octopus card system was launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the territory's mass transit system. It was the first contactless smart card system in the world and has since grown into a widely used payment system for virtually all public transport in Hong Kong. Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. The Octopus is used for payment at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, on-street parking meters, car parks, and other point-of-sale applications such as service stations and vending machines.

Payment processor for e-currency can sell own e-currency directly to the end user like Paypal or other payment processor like e-gold and Liberty Reserve can sell through digital currency exchangers (in this manner you exchange e-currency for real money like EURO, USD dollars). E-gold is an e-currency might be fully backed by gold and Liberty Reserve is an e-currency that non gold backed or both gold and non gold backed.

e-gold
e-gold is a digital currency, issued by e-gold Ltd., a Nevis corporation, 100% backed at all times by gold bullion in allocated storage. Other e-metals are also issued and 100% back by the corresponding metal: e-silver, e-platinum, and e-palladium.
e-gold is integrated into an account based payment system that empowers people to use gold as money.

Liberty Reserve Liberty Reserve is incorporated in Costa Rica. It is a 100% irrevocable payment system allowing you to send or receive money to or from anyone in the world.An offshore Trust protects Liberty Reserve and is always backed 100% by U.S. dollars for LR-USD accounts, and by gold for LR-gold accounts, etc.

The benefits of e-currency:

- Send and receive money instantly to family, friends and business associates over the world;

- The users can make payments 24 hours a day from anywhere you are through payment processor and have possibility to connect to internet

- Take credits in real tame online payments from selling goods and services, online games, auctions, and etc.

- Open free e-currency account signup

- Email payments to any email address; request payments from anyone with an email address;

- Lower merchant fees than credit cards

- Value security systems for PIN verification of spends

Reference:

• 
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_money
• 
  
  http://www.articlesbase.com/international-business-articles/ecurrency-pro-or-contra-732036.html
• http://www.sellingonnet.net/online-means-payment/various-types-electronic-money/
• 
  
  http://www.imoisilis.com/2008/05/what-is-e-currency.html
• 
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_card

Holding credit card is like a sign of fashion nowadays. It is almost like a necessity rather than a luxury. This caused a lots of people have a serious problem with credit card debt due to most of them having more than one credit card with a balance. A credit card is same as what it means as, it is a card that you are able to use it by credit. Each time you use it, it will increase your debts and may causes you have credit card debt problem.
Now, let us look at the causes of credit card debt. There are Top 10 causes of credit card debt summarized at this website - http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/debt_manage_2004/top-10-causes.asp. I will focus on five causes that I feel they are the top 5 causes for this issue.

1.Income reduced but expenses remain the same.
Due to the increase of oil price, many companies have started to downsizing. One of the methods for downsizing is reduce the salaries/income of employees. Thus, the income of those employees affected will decrease but the expenses need to spend, for example, education fees for children, school fees, daily expenditure and etc will remain the same or even will increase. Most of them will delay bringing expenses in line with a reduction in their income and let the credit card debt to fill the gap.

2.Under employment.
This is quite similar to first cause. People who are experiencing under employment will continue to think positively that their current situations are temporary or they are coming off unemployment. Therefore, they would not decrease their current spending style and go on using the credit card to spend. As a result, spending does not in line with current income, the credit card debt will increase and most probably become worse.

3.Poor money management.
A monthly spending is very important because it provides us an idea that where our money are going. Most of the credit card holders did not have a proper spending plan (poor money management), they may be spending hundreds of dollars on the unnecessarily or luxury merchandises each month. Furthermore, some of them feel that a budget will construct a constricting and disallow them have any freedom on spending.

4.Saving too little or not at all.
We are advised to saving three to six months of living expenses for the event of unexpected expenditures. This is the simplest way to avoid unwanted debt. However, most of the people did not have this good habit; they may save 1-2% of their income or not at all. So, when face the event of emergency for need of money, they will just use their credit card to settle it.

5. Financial illiteracy.
Many people do not know how the money grows and work; how to invest and save for future use, or even why they have to balance their checkbook. This knowledge was not taught in school, their parents also would not have to explain the knowledge to them. So, wrong financial decision will increasing and difficult to resolve it.

The credit card debts can cause a lot of card holders went into bankruptcy. So, prevention is important to solve it. There are several preventions found in several websites:

1.Manage own finances
It is very important to have a savings plan or budget. It can help us to have a plan for money: how to allocate it for various expenses, where it spent, and how much to be saved into a savings account. It also can prevent people from getting into debt by setting a goal with a deadline by help to keep us on track the goals set and put motivators in place.

2.Know the interest rate of credit card
All credit holders are advised to know the interest rate that offered and approved by the credit card issuers and checking the rate on monthly statement. This is because the issuers can increase the rates with or without any reason or warning. It is very important for the emergencies event, such as, cars break down or jobs are lost, may cause holders to put some expenses on the card. If the card holders did not up-to-date with their interest rate, they might end up with paying more interest than they have to.

3.Use credit card like cash, not a credit card.
By using credit card, people cannot physically feel the charges charged. They will continue to purchase by using the credit card until they cannot afford to repay the debt. If treat credit card as cash, you know how much you have and how much you can spent, you will know you cannot afford any purchases when your money is decreased in amounts. This called GREEN FACTOR. By using credit card like cash, you need to be in control of your spending habits and credit card.

4.Pay off smaller balances first.
Most of the card holders will try to pay off their cards with larger balances first. It may make them feel stress and hard to repay the debts in short time. So, pay off the smaller balance first is recommended. This is because it will take less time and the payer will feel a sense of satisfaction when completed their goals and will increase their confidence and then make them easier to settle the higher balances.

5.Early education.
The best method for prevention is teaching youngest generation about money before they are qualified for a credit card. Many statistics show that the students who entering college do not know how to balance a checkbook or having a personal finance class. Besides, for those who graduated, typically enter adulthood with thousands of dollars in student loans and credit card debt. In addition, advertisers markets target more to younger and younger children nowadays. It is essential to teach them about the lure of money and how to manage finances early. It can reduce the rate for children to fall into credit card debt problems when as an adult.

Prevention is better than cure. Thus, take prevention before having a credit card.

Reference:
http://www.mozdex.com/prevent-credit-card-debt/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-Credit-Card-Debt-Problems&id=1225936
http://www.cardratings.com/howtoavoidcreditcarddebt.html

Third party certification is a process by which a product or service is reviewed by an independent third party to validate a set of standards, claims or criteria are being met. It provides a measure of conformity, satisfy customer demands and limit supplier risks by eliminating the expense of repeating testing. It is a kind of certification that gives confident to customers to surf internet due to the increased in phishing and spoofing attacks on the internet. For example, it can avoid online users’ computer system being spammed, hacked and attacked by malicious software such as virus, Trojan horse and worms. Besides, it can secure the confidential information of the online users such as IC number, passwords, credit card numbers, telephone number and etc. The most famous application of third party certification programme in Malaysia is provided by MSC Trushgate.com Sdn Bhd.

MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd was incorporated on 1999 and is a licensed Certification Authority (CA) operating within the Multimedia Super Corridor. Certification Authority (CA) is the body that given the license to operate as a trusted third party in the issuance of digital certifications. The reasons for this incorporation are to meet the growing need for secure network communications and become the catalyst for the development of e-commerce, both locally and across the ASEAN region.

Besides, MCS Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd is licensed under the Digital Signature Act 1997 (DSA) which is a Malaysian Law that sets a global precedent for the mandate of a CA. Thus, as a CA, MCS Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd’s core business is providing digital certification services, such as cryptographic products, digital certificates, and software development. For instance, the company has provided solutions and trusted services to help companies to build a secure network and application infrastructure for their electronic communications and transactions over the network. Furthermore, they also delivering high quality services by brought their recognitions with the government, enterprises and e-commerce sites. The example of products and services that provided by MCS Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd are SSL Certificate, Managed PKI, Personal ID, MyTRUST, MyKard ID, SSL VPN and etc. Furthermore, MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd are also is an affiliate of VeriSign in the South East Asia region and a member of VeriSign Trust Network.

The vision of MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd is to enable organizations to conduct their business securely over the Internet, as much as what they have been enjoying in the physical world. This is due to the security is the primary concern of entering into the new Internet economy.

In order to help all types of institutions and companies conducting their businesses over the Internet, MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd provides the finest Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for them. Managed Public Key Infrastructure (MPKI) service is a fully integrated enterprise platform designed to secure intranet, extranet, and Internet applications by combining maximum flexibility, scalability, and performance, with greater security and availability. This service allows enterprise to establish a robust PKI and Certification Authority (CA) system cost-effectively and quickly with complete control over security policies, certificate lifecycle management, authentication models and PKI hierarchies.

The service also enables lower operating costs and faster deployment while providing an open platform that integrates with off-the-shelf solutions. By using this service, many organizations can set up their own multiple digital certification program easily, quickly and economically. They can issue 250 or more digital certificates to partners, customers, employees or supplies. This solution helps to secure online transactions, sign them digitally and control the access to intranets and extranets.

MyKad is designed by government with PKI capability that allows its holder to conduct online transaction with privates sectors and government agencies. MCS Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd had provided MyKey which is the solution that allowing users to authenticate themselves online and to sign documents or to conduct transaction digitally. Moreover, MSC Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd is the main PKI developer and integrator for MyKad which offered different types of MyKey (MyKad PKI) modules for developers who desires to develop MyKad applications such as MyKey Application Programming Interface (API) and MyKad Client Kit.

About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, it allows companies and consumers all over the world to engage in trusted communications and commerce through its SSL, identity and authentication, and domain name services. It has the ability to know and trust the parties with due to doing business and communicate in the networked world has become critical.

Besides, VeriSign internet infrastructure has become the heart of the Internet by protecting valuable data and enabling key transactions. This is because VeriSign has facilitates 50 billion authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) queries a day since 1998 with 100% availability. It also intends to increase the capacity of the .com and .net DNS by 10 times by 2010 to provide the stability and security required for global online transaction. It has issued 2 million VeriSign® Identity Protection (VIP) credentials to consumers for strong authentication on a network of leading Web sites so that consumers will feel confident when the conduct online business transaction.

VeriSign SSL Certificates is the public encrypted key that Webmaster sends to CA which is a standard part of most web browser packages and web server when works with the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. It is the leading Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate Authority under MCS Trustgate.com Sdn Bhd which enables the security of communications, e-commerce and interactions for websites, extranets and internets. It means that VeriSign is used to enhance the security of server of the website and providing security solutions to protect organization’s consumers, website, networks and brand. It also increases customers’ confidence in conducting online business transaction due to the increased phishing and spoofing attacks on the Internet. VeriSign also will protects the organization’s website and make it easier for the visitors build trust on the organization because the encryption of sensitive information during online transaction is enabled .Each of it has unique, authenticated information about the certificate owner which his or her identity will be verified by Certificate Authority when it is issued.

Digital certificate is usually attached to an e-mail message or an embedded program in a web page in order to verify that user or website is who they claim to be. The general functions of digital certificate are user authentication, encryption and digital signatures. User authentication will provide security by using username and password. Encryption will make the data transmission secured through the information encrypted. So, recipient of the data is the person who only can receive the message. Digital signatures are like the hand signature in the digital world which can ensure the integrity of the data. Therefore, the users will conduct online transaction confidently without fear of the personal data being stolen, transacting party denying any commercial commitments and information corrupted by third parties. Moreover, the digital certificate can assist in the development of internet based activities.

In conclusion, by applying the 3rd party certification is secured for e-shopping and enhance the trust and confident to the organizations’ website and products..




Reference:

http://msctrustgate.com/about_us.htm
http://www.mykey.com.my/Website/home.php
http://www.verisign.com/corporate/information/index.html
https://www.msctrustgate.com/product/mpki.htm

Privacy and confidentiality had always been an issue with the advancements in technology. The threat of privacy invasion by hackers leads to an increasing need in protecting important personal and financial data with effective measures. More often than not, the problems include stealing data for illegal usage either from database or when it is being transferred over the network. Listed below are the safeguards one can employ to reduce the risk of successive information abuse.

Password protection
· The most common protection consisting of alphabets and numbers
· Although this protection is still susceptible to automated attacks, it is still effective because it can slow down the attacker, which increase the probability that the attack will be detected and/or attacker abandon the attack and turn to easier targets
· To increase the strength of this protection, hard password should be used whereby it contains 6 or more character with at least 1 special character or digit and mixed case sensitivity, and not forming a name, date, acronym, or pronounceable word.

Firewall
·A protected gateway that stands between the resources requiring protection and the “outside; a filter between private network and the internet
·To be effective, a firewall must guard all access to the internal network, including modem connections as well as remote network access.
· Always keep the firewall on.

Encryption
· The process a message is scramble in a difficult, expensive or time consuming way for an unauthorized person to decipher it.
· Can use either public or private key to encrypt and decrypt the message
· Provide security to both stored and transmitting data.

Packet filters
· Rules that can accept/reject incoming packets based source and destination address and other identifying information
· If suspicious attachment were found to be accompanying an email, only the email will be accepted on the condition that the attachment is to be rejected.

Antivirus/Antispyware software
· The number of known viruses is increasing exponentially, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, trapdoors, and logic bombs.
· Hidden spyware are also being embedded into the data.
· Install antivirus and antispyware to detect these malicious codes and to remove it such as Norton AntiVirus, Doctor Spyware, Avira, AVG and etc.
· Free antivirus software can be easily obtained from the internet.
· Also, always keep the software updated to eliminate new malware of which the older version of the software is incapable of detecting it.

Virtual Private Network
· Public internet is used to carry information but network remain private by using encryption to scramble for communication, authentication by ensuring information transmitted not altered, and access control to verify the identity of anyone using the network.
· Security is also given when using this safeguard

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
· A special software which monitors the activity across a network or host computer,watching out for suspicious activity and taking automated action based on what it encounters
· Include shutting down the server if found necessary

Be educated
· Take time to keep update with the latest strategy in how hackers hack into database.
· Be aware of the popular phishing methods to prevent leaking sensitive information to third party accidentally.

All in all, practice using private communication lines when possible to limit public eavesdropping and potential intrusions, facilitate the usage of passwords, access restrictions, and user authentication to guard against unauthorized access and also secure systems with virus scanners, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems if possible. Never forget to read on the current issues of how data were being stolen.

Source: CONCERNS ABOUT INTRUSIONS INTO REMOTELY ACCESSIBLE SUBSTATION CONTROLLERS AND SCADA SYSTEMS by Paul Oman and Edmund O. Schweitzer Deborah Frincke , retrieved from http://www.csds.uidaho.edu/deb/SCADA.pdf