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Definition of a transactional e-commerce site is an electronic store front or catalog business or a manufacturer showroom for those willing directly make transaction processing to the public through online. This transactional e-commerce site normally operated from consumer to consumer or business to consumer transaction via the websites. This e-commerce site allows the consumers to obtain information, to order something, and to pay bills. The transaction processing also is carried out in the web. It is known as online shopping or in the other word, it is an e-commerce website accepting and processing a customer’s credit or debit card payment online and in real time, in return for goods or services.

Nowadays, there are many transactional e-commerce sites exist in Malaysia. One of famous and widely used e-commerce site is TGV cinemas. As far as we know, TGV cinemas are called as Tanjong Golden Village Cinemas. The largest cinema is located in Sunway Pyramid with 12 screens and 2598 seats. TGV cinemas have carried out their business through direct paying and also through their online website: http://www.tgv.com.my. Within this website, users can directly search what movies are available in that current month and upcoming movies. Furthermore, they can also know the show time and book the ticket even select their own seats. Moreover, TGV website contains short synopsis for each movie just for introduction purposes. So that people can get a glimpse on what the movie about before watching it.

Based on my experience in using the transactional e-commerce sites, this TGV web is among the best and easier to use. It directs the user step by step and properly constructed. It actually saves peoples’ energy and time where they do not need to wake up early in the morning just to queue to watch a movie. By surfing this web, with just a simple few button clicks, we can totally reserve a seat for us for the show with our own selected time, seating place and location. This has proven that technology has moved one step ahead again.

One of the many challenges facing the countries in the Asia-Pacific today is preparing their societies and governments for globalization and the information and communication revolution. Policy-makers, business executives, NGO activists, academics, and ordinary citizens are increasingly concerned with the need to make their societies competitive in the emergent information economy. Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are playing an increasingly vital role in the daily lives of people, revolutionizing work and leisure and changing the rules of doing business. In the realm of government, ICT applications are promising to enhance the delivery of public goods and services to citizens not only by improving the process and management of government, but also by redefining the traditional concepts of citizenship and democracy.

The implementation of e-government in Malaysia started since the initiation of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996 by the Malaysian government. Ultimately, e-government aims to enhance access to and delivery of government services to benefit citizens. More important, it aims to help strengthen government’s drive toward effective governance and increased transparency to better manage a country’s social and economic resources for development. e-Government aims to make interaction with citizens, businesses, government employees, government agencies and other governments more convenient, friendly, transparent, inexpensive and effective.

The 7 pilot projects of the Electronic Government Flagship Application:
1. Project Monitoring System (SPP II)

2. Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)











3. Generic Office Environment (GOE)

4. Electronic Procurement (EP)















5. Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX)

What is e-learning???
E-learning is a term for all types of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), where technology is used to support the learning process. It is defined as a learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies, mainly Internet or computer-based, to reach learners. E-learning involves the use of a computer or electronic device in skills and knowledge such as deliver training, educational or learning resources through Internet or an Intranet. They do not involve face-to-face action during the learning process because the studying process is done online.

Lately, most of the University also provide e-learning method. One of the local Universities, MARA University of Technology (UTM) also offered e-learning in the year 1990. There are advantages and disadvantages for using e-learning to conduct their study.


Below are the pros and cons of e-learning.
Pros of E-learning
Flexibility. From students’ perspectives, they can access the course whenever and wherever they want to with an internet connection. For those students who are a part-timer will not be bound by time and place. They can conduct their study after done their part-time job.

Convenience. For students who are live far away from school will be more convenient for them. By having e-learning method, they can learn at home without physically present in the university. By doing so, they can avoid traffic jam or wastage of travel cost and also save lots of time.

Wider learning option. Student can improved their studies and gain more information from foreign country. Instead of getting information from the library, students now can access to the resources upload by other foreign university such as get teaching materials through e-libraries. They can exchange information and opinion among several countries in the process of studies.

Improve IT skills. Students will have their IT skills improved by learning through computer based. It may also help the student in future on the employ ability.

Capability to study on their own space. Students can study at anywhere that makes the student feel comfortable and can let them absorb more easily.

Cons of E-learning
Lack of face-to-face communication. Students may face some confusion along the learning process due to lack of face-to-face communication. Students may also lose the direction during the learning process because there are no teachers who are present physically to explain or guide these students.


Access. Students have difficulty on access to the internet or
intranet when the network is poor. Besides, students who lack of IT knowledge or computer skills will have problem on E-learning process. Slow or unreliable Internet connections are such a frustrating situation faced by students.

Isolation. Students may feel isolated and unsupported or miss social interaction while learning through e-learning. Student may feel bored due to no interaction and will caused them have no patience to continue their studies.


Costly. Students have to subscribe high-speed internet to enhance the speed of downloading to avoid the delay of studies. Besides, students have to avoid using old computer for their studies. Subscribe a high-speed internet and buy a new version computer are a big amount for students to bear.

Personality. Students who have low motivation will faced lots of problem such as demotivate in studying since there is no any supervision when they conduct their studies. Furthermore, spoon feed will also become students’ habit since all the sources are provided online, sooner or later they will become very dependent and lazy type person. They will face some problem when they are in the community because they will expect all the information will be given to them.

In a nutshell, there are advantages and disadvantages between the E-learning method and the go to school study method.

http://www.about-elearning.com/e-learning-advantages-and-disadvantages.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com/about_4743220_advantages-disadvantages-elearning.html

After reviewing a post of “UK to get tough with illegal downloader” from My E-Commerce blog, I found out that most of user will attempt to download their favorites music or movie for internet. However, there are certain situations that have to be aware by user when they download the files from internet because UK government is working on a new law to have this illegal downloader's internet connection to be cut off.


Illegal download is downloading the uploaded files via peer-to-peer networks without paying any copyright. The music industry claims it has lost due to illegal music downloading and the most common average of numbers seems to sit around a loss of 20 percent globally in sales since 1999.

There are some web sites and software program provide such service to internet users with reasonable value for downloading music, movie, software and so on. These are some of the popular services that are available for user to use for downloading such as eMusic, Apple’s iTunes, Windows Media, Napster, and Rhapsody.
In Malaysia, the government also establishes education program to reduce software piracy by using two-way approach. The approaches are enforcement and education.

What is a prepaid cash card???
A prepaid cash card is a plastic card issued by banks to customers which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. The card allows instant purchase, removing the correct balance from the user’s attached bank account. It can also be called an electronic check, as the funds are withdrawn directly from either the bank account or from the remaining balance on the card. In some cases, the cards are designed exclusively for use on the Internet, and so there is no physical card Prepaid cash card are distinct from credit cards in that they allow purchase based on available funds in the account to be deducted immediately, instead of by using a line of credit that can be repaid at a later time.

There are several usefulness of prepaid cash card:
i) Works like a checking account.
AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard cards work like a checking account. Keep your money safe in one of our prepaid card accounts instead of carrying it around in cash.

ii) Better than a credit card.
AccountNow Prepaid Visa & Prepaid MasterCard cards do not extend credit like credit card it means that you can’t spend money you don’t have. As a result, user will never have to worry about finance charges, late charges, or over-the-limit fees. Besides, user can use the card to shop & pay bills online, make hotel & car rental reservations, and purchase goods & services.

iii) Saves you lots of money.
Instead of traditional checking accounts, credit cards, bill paying services, check cashing, or bill paying services, now user can save hundreds of dollars a year using the AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard card.

iv) Helps build your credit history.
Using the AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard card can help you build your credit history in two ways.

v) Safer than cash.
Your AccountNow Prepaid Visa or Prepaid MasterCard card is protected against fraud and it also protects you from unauthorized charges made to your prepaid card account in case your card is lost or stolen.

vi) Everyone is accepted.
Getting an AccountNow Prepaid Visa or Prepaid MasterCard card is easier then qualifying for a credit card or checking account. Prepaid cards look like credit and debit cards and they offer the same ability to purchase products and services but with a crucial difference, which is user can only spend the balance that has been preloaded onto the card. This means there is no risk of running into debt as it has no credit or overdraft facility.

Application of Prepaid Cash Cards
1. Toll payment –Touch ‘n Go (TnG) smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole electronic payment system (EPS). The credit card sized smart card made of plastic with Philips' MIFARE microchip technology embedded in it. In addition to payment system for toll, it is expanding its business to retail purchase by starting with fast food industry.







2. Collect fares for the territory's mass transit system -Octopus card is a smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. It launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the territory's mass transit system, The Octopus is also 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.
3. Transfer money or withdraw money–for some prepaid cash card they provide the convenient such as send or receive money via bank wire transfers, between two cards. User can make the transaction any time of the day, and any day of the week.

4. Shop anywhere as long as the card using is accepted at different retailers, buys fuel at the pump, pay by phone, and shop on the Internet.

5. Bill payment–Rent, utilities, insurance, car payment, and cell phone bills can be paid instantly via online. These payment can be done through electronic account. In conclusion, prepaid cash card is a good invention that makes life easier, it contributed a lots of benefits such as save more money, avoid debt risk with no chance to spend too much as the balance is limited to the amount reloaded.



References:

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/index.html

http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/aboutourcards/gift_prepaid/

http://www.electronic-payments.co.uk/solutions/Splash_plastic_card

Mobile payment system in Malaysia is defined as collection of money from consumer using mobile handsets such as their mobile phone, Cellular telephone, Smart phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or any other devices. Besides that, mobile payment system also provide directly purchase or to authorize payment for goods and services. Nowadays, consumers can purchase any number of digital goods and physical goods through mobile payment system. For examples, ring tones, games, wallpaper for mobile phone and the booking cinema ticket and air ticket.

The potential of using this system is consumers no longer need to bring any cash or credit card while shopping or traveling. They just can easily using their mobile phone to make any payments. It is more convenient and secure for consumers compare to bring too much cash on hand. Other than that, the problems of settle every month billing payment such as electric bills, water bills, phone bills, internet bills can be eliminated by using mobile payment services. Consumers no need hassle to queue up for waiting so long just to pay such bills and can save their time. Besides that, mobile payment system also provides high security to assure the safety of data for the customer. All payment transaction is secured by a strong pin fraud protection patent and inability of hacking passwords. Based on all this potentials, consumers are built their confidence and satisfaction in mobile payment system. Therefore, increasing number of consumers tend to use this system in Malaysia.

Malaysia's m-payment market has developed more quickly and it will continue to grow as consumer’s confidence on mobile payment increased. For instances, The world's first contactless mobile payment service has been launched in Malaysia by included with Maxis Fast Tap as an integrated mobile payment service that uses near field communication (NFC) technology according to Malaysian mobile operator Maxis Communications (Maxis), together with partners Nokia, Visa, May bank and Touch ‘n Go. For consumers’ adoption strategies in Malaysia can be classified in four areas:

1. Educate public about mobile payments, how to use and introduce its functions (e.g. bill payment, mobile purchase)

Most of people using mobile payment system is to pay bills and download wallpapers, ring tones and mobile games using premium SMS transactional payment.

2. Enhance security and confidence to mobile users

Highly secure data or information for the payers and without disclosure their credit card information.

3. Collaborate with more banks and companies to widen the ability to pay via mobile at the same time it helps to increased customer’s satisfaction and confidence

The largest credit card payment system is visa which launches a universal system and signed with mobile giants. Mobile giant like Nokia launches this service in Nokia handset which allows customers to remote payment, person-to-person payments, and contact fewer payments.

4. Maintain customer’s loyalty

Reward to customers by giving gift or discount at certain level of purchasing and giving extra credit when they used mobile payment.

References:

http://ebuddiez.blogspot.com/2009/07/mobile-payment-systems-in-malaysia-its.html

http://ecommercesite.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/mobile-payment-systems-in-malaysia-its-potentials-consumers-adoption-strategy/