International Business Machines Corp. said it has expanded its CommercePoint Payment system in response to growth in electronic commerce activity.
CommercePoint, IBM's technology for on-line consumers, merchants, and payment processors, was launched in November.
The system's virtual cash register now runs on IBM's OS/390 and Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Solaris platforms, in addition to Windows NT and AIX. The on-line payment technology now runs on OS/390 and AIX environments.
The software meets the requirements of the credit card industry's Secure Electronic Transactions protocol.
"These commerce applications are moving into larger and larger environments where more transaction throughput and capability are required," said Alan Clark, market segment executive, IBM Internet payments. "They are running out of gas on their smaller platforms."
IBM is competing primarily with Hewlett-Packard Co. and with Compaq Computer Corp.'s Tandem subsidiary, which unveiled its iTP Payment Solution system this month.
"There are a few players jockeying for a leadership position," said Erica Rugullies, industry analyst at Giga Information Group, Cambridge, Mass. "There is plenty of market share for each of them."
CommercePoint is a piece of IBM's e-business offering, which includes the Net.Commerce system to put merchants on-line. The computer giant is investing heavily in electronic commerce, highlighting it in television commercials and other advertising.
The CommercePoint Wallet, one of three system components, enables on- line consumer payments. It includes digital certificates to identify credit-card holders and maintains a data base to keep track of purchases.
The related ETill system lets merchants accept on-line payments in SET format and turn them over to banks, and Gateway is a payment processing application for bank cards on the Web. It relies on data encryption for security and manages transaction settlement.
CommercePoint handles only credit cards, but IBM is working to add smart card and debit card capabilities, Mr. Clark said. This requirement is being driven mainly by IBM's European customers.
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AT&T Corp. has unveiled its electronic commerce system, an expansion of its SecureBuy technology.
The system includes Web site hosting, on-line transaction services, click-to-call technology, and telephone consulting. "Today's Web site browsers are increasingly willing to become on-line buyers," said Gary Hickox, AT&T global marketing vice president. "To make the most of their Internet investments, companies need to be ready to sell."
Like other providers of "end to end" e-commerce software, AT&T claims to offer all the tools sellers "need to quickly turn a Web site into a powerful sales channel, complete with a way to securely process credit card orders, and provide on-the-spot, personalized customer service," Mr. Hickox said.
The services will be available May 1 for $695 a month. Customers would also pay a $500 setup fee and per-transaction charges.
Through the AT&T Web Site Services Site Launch Program, businesses can choose from four Web site designs, ranging from $500 to $15,000 depending on complexity.
