Review A Local, Transactional E-Commerce Site!!

AirAsia – the world’s best low-cost airline, has been expanding rapidly since 2001 by adopted the concept of “low fare & no frills”. AirAsia has flown over 55 million guests and continue to spread its wings to create more extensive route network through its associate companies which are Thai Airasia and Indonesia Airasia. Currently, AirAsia has adopted new policy as promotion to its guest which is free of charge on admin fees.The AirAsia webpage is designed in hot red colour as its corporate colour. The users can first look at four beauty air hostess at the first page of the web, and then we can choose the country and language we prefer. After that, there will be few promotion advertisements. At the same page, the search engine is available for users check at the flight navigation available.

The guests can book the air tickets at the promotion price at the lowest price up to RM0.05 while certain promotion period. Besides that, Airasia website offered guests opportunity to shopping particular products such as Snack Attack, game, credit card, E-Gift Voucher, GoInsure and others. There have many ways to book for the AirAsia tickets such as online, travel agents, sales office, Air Asia call centre, airport sales station and mobile and meanwhile the transaction can pay by cash, credit card, online banking, Pos Malaysia, direct debit and ATM.

Furthermore, the guests able to organize their own self-service travel, without refer or get assistance from costly travel agents. The application of GoHoliday, GoCar, GoHostel and GoMedic bring guests lots of advantages and opportunities.

The webpage is downloading with moderate speed as pictures size are small and system running in well conditions. The webpage is very useful since the users can easily find out the essential information of flights and make the transaction of booking flights in a very convenient and easy way. Along with its vision and mission, AirAisa was operating successfully according to its significant philosophy of “NOW EVERYONE CAN FLY”.

E-government in Malaysia : Its implementation so far and citizen's adoption strategies

The Electronic Government initiative in Malaysia was launched to lead the country into the Information Age. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility and quality of interactions with citizens and businesses. Simultaneously, it will improve information flows and processes within government to improve the speed and quality of policy development, coordination and enforcement.

The vision of Electronic Government focuses on the effectiveness and efficiency of delivering services from the government to the citizens in Malaysia, enabling the government to become more responsive to the needs of the citizens. The myGovernment Portal acts as the one-stop source of Malaysian government information and services for the citizens.

Citizens can get sufficient information and services from the E-Government. The site provides different level of education such as pre-school education, primary school education, higher education or even adult aducation. Only Malaysia citizens above the age of 18 years may seek employment in Malaysia. Opportunities abound in a wide variety of industries and fields, in both the private and public sector.

Besides, information obtained by citizen are secured and safe. The ability for a nation to function and prosper relies heavily on its level of security and safety. Thus, it enables trade, businesses and organizations to grow as well as encourages foreign investments. The national identity, crime prevention, fire and rescue, health related emergency and national defense can also be detected. Furthermore, citizens can obtain other information and services such as legal matters, public amenities and utilities and health easily.

Causes And Prevention Of Credit Card Debts

Do you have credit card debt? Will you feel stress when you live in a debt? AND … How can you live in stress free life and not bankruptcies? Here are the some causes that you faced in debt and some of the methods help you to prevent credit card debt.




CAUSES
1) Poor Money Management
If you have no plan for monthly spending and didn’t pay your bills monthly, you wouldn’t know where your money is going. Maybe you will spend RM800 every month, but you do not realize it.

2) Lower salary, higher expenses
If parents have such situation and lose his/her job, debt arises obviously.

3)Underemployment
Are you underemployed? If yes, this means that your salary is not enough to cover your expenses. So, you need to cut down on your lifestyle. Forget about shopping at Pavilion every weekend if you only work for RM 800 per month. However, if you have salary RM5000 per month, then you can think about the luxury brand- LOUIS VUITTON.

4) Credit cards as a “crutch”
Many people use credit cards as a “crutch”. They will buy the things they desired notwithstanding they cannot really afford it. Then the accumulate amount of principle and interest is terrible.

PREVENTION

• Control your limit to avoid from using credit card.

• Well planned financial management to guide you become an organized consumer.
• Always pay on time to enjoy lower interest rates because this is the crucial factor that manages your payment schedule.
• Credit card should be use only when emergency happens, unless you plan in paying the entire balance off immediately.
  
• Spend less to avoid credit card debts.

Related links:
http://www.mozdex.com/
http://www.scribd.com
http://www.linkroll.com

A discussion on E-learning offered in Malaysian universities: Pros and Cons from the students perspective

What does government mean by e-learning?

The government defines e-learning as any learning, training or education program delivered by information and communication technology (ICT). It is empowered by digital technology and no face- to- face interaction takes place. Examples of E-learning that offered in Malaysian universities are Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and others.

There are two categories of e-learning, which are:

• Knowledge database --> This is the most basic form of e-learning. It doesn’t seen as actual training. You will see the software questions with step-by-step instructions to perform specific task.

• Asynchronous training--> This training is more focus on traditional sense of the word. It is the place of a live instructor with the links to reference materials. In addition, it consists of online discussion group, online bulletin boards to access with instructors.

Pros from students’ perspective

• Students can learn on their own pace and under less pressure. For those students who have a job, they can learn to fit their busy schedule.
  
• There is no travel cost, because e-learning is quick and easy to get the information in anytime and everywhere. For example, high networks capacity will make learning available to people 24 hours a day in the 21st century.
• Web-based allows instructors update timely information. Thus, students can retrieve information immediately.
• Teaching through online can improved interactive and collaborative among students. For instances, case studies, chat rooms, project teams, discussion group and etc.

Cons from students’ perspective

• E-learning will reduce social and cultural interaction among students and lecturers. Students will feel they don’t communicate enough with their lecturer when they are floating in space.
• It is easy for students to misunderstand the demands from their lecturers.E-learning required new skills, technical training and responsibilities from students. However, some of students may have weaknesses in internet skills and computer skills.
• E-learning required technology to participate in the virtual classroom. For example, those minor students who have low bandwidth and low memory computer will be difficult to access the internet as well as download course material.

Related Links:

• http://wiki.media-culture.org.au
• http://www.thetrainingworld.com
• http://derekstockley.com.au
• http://www.about-elearning.com
• http://www.dso.iastate.edu

The Application Of Pre-Paid Cash Card For Consumers

A prepaid cash card is not a credit card since it is not linked an overdraft facility. The concept is basically same as a prepaid gift card or a mobile phone SIM card. We can't borrow money with a prepaid card, we can only spend the money we have loaded onto it. Hence, there is no risk of running into debt as it has no credit or overdraft facility.

Prepaid cash card can help to manage your money safer, easier, and cheaper. Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard act like a checking account where individuals and businesses deposit money and withdraw funds from their protected account. Certainly, the money is safe in the prepaid card accounts instead of carrying it around in cash. Thus, it's very convenient to sign up for a prepaid cash card.

The usages of prepaid cash card for consumers can be used in a variety of ways :

• It can use to shop, pay bills online, hotel & car rental reservations, and purchase goods & services. To shop online, you'll find the item you want to buy and click on to the website's "checkout" page before filling in your details and those of your prepaid card.
• Prepaid cash card is secured. For instance, users do not need to carry a lot of cash around while u go shopping. It enables consumers to control their spending according to a budget as well.
  
• Apart from that, prepaid cash card can also be used to withdraw cash from ATM with the available amount of money in your account. But, it will cost you a higher service charge.
• Some of the pre-paid cash cards provide you the service by sending and receiving money via bank wire transfer, between two cards.
• Act as a portable access point to checking account.

There are some examples of prepaid cash cards:
1) Touch 'n Go (TnG) smart card

• used by Malaysian for electronic payment system at all highways in Malaysia, major public transpots, selected parking sites and also theme parks.
  
• Enhances the speed of paying.
  
• Convenient as users no longer need to queue up at the cash lane to make payment.
  
• It is expanding its business to retail purchase by starting cooperate with fast food industry that enables consumers to buy doughnut, burger or other fast-foods from 21 outlets such as Burger King, 7-Eleven, Dunkin’ Donut.
  

2) Prepaid Vista Cash Card

• Issued by Four Oaks Bank & Trust Company
  
• Give opportunity for consumers with poor credit record and young children by not over spending than the balance in their card.
  
• Visa permits travelers access to money at automated teller machines (ATM) in 65 countries and book the train tickets by using Metro Card.
  

In my opinion, Pre-paid cash card has become more and more important nowadays, since it is convenient, easy to get and easy to carry. Everyone can simply start using prepaid cash card by loading money at everywhere as well as limit their spending. Nevertheless, it leads Malaysia to a ticketless packing century, and it is an environmental friendly service.

For more details, please click on this picture to know and verify different types of Pre-Paid Cash Cards existed in market.

How to safeguard personal and financial data?

How do you protect your personal and financial data? Is your personal and financial data remaining confidentiality? Otherwise, it will lead to loss, misuse, unauthorized access or modification towards the information.

Here are the methods that you’re privacy data to be secured:
1)Do not share your personal information to others which is including your Social Security number, passport number, birth certificate number, driver’s license number and credit card numbers.

2)It is important to keep your user name and password confidentially. Password is required to secure for your data. For example, combination of alphabet and numbers can be used as a password. BUT make sure that you can memorize the password.


3)Do not give out information unless you know the party with whom you are dealing. Must be ensure that the information given to the authorized users only. For examples: your customer, supplier and banker.

4) Use Biometric systems

Biometric systems refer to method to recognize human physical and behavioral traits uniquely.
It can be divided to :

• Physiological – shape of the body. For examples, DNA, biometric fingerprint systems, biometric iris recognition.
• Behavioral – voice scan and keystroke monitoring.

5) Firewall

Firewall is a part of a computer system or network is to block unauthorized access n a company’s private network and the internet. Function- set of devices to allow, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy computer traffic between different security domains followed by a set of rules and other criteria.

3rd Party Certification Programme In Malaysia

Nowadays, unsecured website has incurring the worries of internet users when they are required to provide private information or update their profile, even update their bank accounts, and etc. In this condition, Secured Sockets Layer (SSL) is the best solution to build users’ trust through getting SSL Certificate for website.

What is Secured Sockets Layer (SSL)?

• Technology which employs the essential functions of mutual authentication, data encryption, and data integrity for security transactions.
• Also known as an electronic file that enables secure confidential communications and identifies individuals and websites uniquely.
• Issued by a trusted third party called Certification Authority (CA). Authenticity is ensured when certificate is issued once establishes with its organization’s public keys and signs with CA’s private key.

Examples of 3rd party certification programme in Malaysia
1) VeriSign SSL Certificated

• Provides a crucial layer of intelligence and security that protect data and deliver information through internet safely to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.
• All information transmitted over the internet is encrypted using the 128-bit SSL.
  
• Reduce problems of lower shopping cart and other transaction abandonment which will increase visitor-to-sales conversions consequently.
• Besides that, internet users also get benefit from EV SSL Protection as Mozilla Launches Firefox 3. It leads “Site Identity” button attach to the location bar and immediately reassurance that authenticity has been verified by VeriSign. It helps organizations to build trust and confidence among their current or prospect customers.
• Maybank2U.com is the largest online banking which verifies by VeriSign and can be classified as VeriSign Secure Site.

2)MCS Trustgate

• which was established in year 1999 under Digital Signature Act 1997 (DSA).
  
• It is a licensed Certification Authority which operating with the Multimedia Super Corridor to provide digital certification services.
  
• The services included digital certificates, cryptographic products, and software development. It is used to secure the open network communications for both locally and across the ASEAN region.
  
• MPKI service is one of the services provided by Trustgate. It is designed to increase the security of intranet, extranet, as well as internet application. It enables the organizations to create their own multiple digital certification program with efficiency and cost-effective through this flexible managed service.
• Besides, Trustgate also provides digital ID which governed by Digital Signature Act 1997. It is needed to ensure that the information is remained private and will not expose or alter by others.
• Trustgate also included PKI capability. MyKad created by government with PKI capability allows citizen to perform the online transaction between government and private company. MyKey is the ultimate PKI solution for MyKad which allow the holder to authenticate themselves online and digitally sign document or transaction.

In my opinion, scenario of increasing attack of the phishing on the internet is worrying the internet users regarding whether the websites they visit are security safe or not. As a result, the application of 3rd Party Certification Programme assists to enhance the users’ confidence in the safety and security of the internet. Hence, we are clear that this programme is playing a major role in our daily life significantly.

Please click on the picture below to login to Trustgate.com if you would like to get more information about it.