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IDEA No 55

ECOMMERCE

Pepperoni and mushroom with extra cheese. The first thing purchased on the Web was, you guessed it, a pizza. PizzaNet, Pizza Hut’s website, allowed customers in Santa Cruz, California, to order online. It was the first ecommerce site.

In the early ’90s many companies were reluctant to move into online retail. There was a big problem: security. It was relatively easy for hackers to intercept passwords, credit card numbers and other personal details. Netscape recognized that consumer confidence was non-negotiable. In 1995, it developed an encryption service called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), making online shopping a much safer activity.

That year, an online book retailer opened its virtual doors. ...

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