ppp3 wrote:
> If they can't get their database working like the 'big boyz' then I
> have to ask just how secure my credit card information is on the same
> website. If you absorb nothing else from this post, absorb that. With
> the amount of credit card fraud that happens from stolen information
> on website databases, why should I do business with a company that
> can't create an inventory database that works?
Ummm...as a database developer I have to weigh in here. The
responsiveness of their online ordering system has got exactly *zilch*
to do whether their system is secure or not.
CC info has been stolen from many of the biggest companies with the most
exquisitely responsive ordering systems.
Whilst it is desirable to have a single unified inventory management
flow, in many cases it's simply not possible...inventory management
systems are a widely developed vertical market solution, and the
warehouse order fulfillment, accounts recieveable, and web ordering site
may indeed run on three (or more) databases on three (or more) different
platforms, often installed and integrated over a period of years (if the
company's been around for any length of time).
Corporate database systems are especially slow to change. As an example,
I've taught a basic Oracle Database Administration class. Oracle's
database is at version 8.1.7 (I think) with a new release of version 9.
They're phasing out their main support for version 8.0 soon. In my
class, I had several people still using Oracle 8 and 7, and in one case
they were only now upgrading from version _6_, which dates back to the
early 90's iirc.
In the case of outlets that have brick&mortar as well as online
ordering, the situation can be even worse.
Sure it's possible to scrap everything and build a system that
integrates the whole thing, if you have money, time, money, programming
expertise, money, consultants and a lot of money to burn....but by the
time you do that, your business is out of it...business, that is.
Besides... >90% of credit fraud occurs during physical transactions...
(I still don't get how people are so freakin' paranoid about sending
CC#'s across the net, when they'll happily, without a second thought,
hand their credit card off to that underpaid, surly waiter, who knows
you're going to stiff him on a tip, and let them waltz off and do
whatever with your card for five minutes, while you're lingering over
coffee....all he has to do is slip outside, hand off your number to a
friend, and by the time you've gotten home they've charged $5000 to your
account.)
--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group
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