What is E-commerce

E-Commerce in layman terms is the sale of products and services over the Web. It can transform your typical "brick and mortar"™ business into a thriving, interactive and dynamic electronic commerce Web business!
E-Commerce is generally considered to be the sales and marketing arm of E-Business, in a bid to reach out to a wider audience apart from businesses. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate financing and payments of business transactions.

Background

As Asia's leading communications group with operations and investments in more than 20 countries and territories around the world, the SingTel Group is committed to bringing the best of global communications to customers in the Asia Pacific and beyond. Serving both the corporate and consumer markets, the Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of services that include voice and data services over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms.

With the increasing use of mobile data services, it has placed its suite of retail data services and applications to both home and business users under the brand name of IDEAS. Wireless access to IDEAS can be made using SingTels Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) services.

With the commercial launch of SingTels 3G services in February 2005, its mobile customers can enjoy higher data speeds up to 384 kbps. 3G also enables customers to enjoy video calls and high-speed video streaming.

Purpose

The SingTel website provides its customers with extensive up-to-date information of its latest products and promotions which helps to break through any distance barriers between the consumers and the company.
By providing such information 24/7, the customers will always be just a click away. This limits any possibilities of asymmetric information of their products as the customers can always log on to the website anytime and anywhere, as long as there is Internet connection, to find out more about SingTels products.

Apart from bringing information to its customers, SingTel also strives to be the leader of the telecommunication industry. One good example will be the recent launch of Apple's Iphone. SingTel is currently holding the only launching authority of the gadget till further notice.

Features

SingTelShop is mainly using the B2C virtual direct selling business model. Customers can make their selections from a wide range of products available online, such as mobiles phone, price plans, accessories, value-added services and telephony service.

With just a click, the latest gadgets that you have been longing for will be delivered right to your doorstep with SingTel’s trustworthy delivery service!

Payment Scheme

Just like any other websites which accept online payments, SingTelShop accepts cards such as VISA, Master Card and UOB Debit Card. All you need is a valid card in order to purchase equipment online. SingTel will be also be adding other forms of payment in the near future.

Being a well-established company and to keep up with its reputation, SingTel uses VeriSign Secured Services in their online payment service to assure their customers that sensitive information is secured and safe in their hands.

Key Characteristics

Corporate colours

As Singapore first telecommunications company, SingTels corporate colours are similar to Singapore national colours (red and white), which bear a sense of belonging to the nation. By using the national colours in their website and corporate logo, SingTel helps its consumers to closely associate themselves to Singapore. This also boosts Singapore aim to become a global media hub, with SingTel leading Singapore to become one of the key strategic media centres in the Asia-Pacific region

Security

The main security feature of SingTel E-Commerce website is the VeriSign Securitisation which comprises of Encrypted Data Transmission and Identity Verified, a feature supported by Singapore Telecommunication Limited. SingTel ensures that all transactions made at the SingTelShop payment server are highly secured, with the support of the latest technology available today.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry’s standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name and address, so that no one else would be able to hack through and view your confidential information despite the information being transmitted via the Internet. SingTel also provides instructions on how to ensure the security of the consumers Internet browser.

Customers interests are also kept in mind when SingTelShop requests for their confidential information for verification of purchase and delivery purposes. The privacy policy that SingTel adopts ensures that they will not give or sell their customers' information to any data-collecting agencies or external companies for marketing or solicitation purposes.

Thus, customers are assured that they would not be receiving spam or unsolicited junk emails.

Strengths

Investor Relations

Being the largest mobile network operator in the Asia Pacific outside of the People's Republic of China and whose owner is none other than Temasek Holdings, which manages a portfolio of about S$185 billion and focuses primarily in Asia, SingTel does have a very high level of reputation for consumers to rely on.

Website

SingTel well programmed and user friendly website ensures its customers a glitch and hassle free online shopping experience. The website is simple and organized with product information being categorized into proper headings to ensure that customers will be able to locate information with ease. A website that is cluttered with disorganized information may turn off potential customers as they are faced with the frustration of not knowing where to start looking for their information from. Thus, it is important that information online should be kept at a digestible amount, which provides customers with what they want but also allows them to understand without wasting much time.

The website also has clear pictures of the equipment that they are selling, which is very important for online shoppers as the pictures are the only clue to what they are going to purchase, since they are unable to touch and feel the products prior to the purchase.

The loading of the website is also generally efficient. Thus, customers who have a lower bandwidth are also able to enjoy their online shopping experience without the anguish of waiting for the pictures to load. This is a major turn-off when customers have to wait for some time before they can access the information. As a result, SingTel may again lose potential customers if they do not ensure that customers of different bandwidth can access their website with ease.

Most importantly, as many other online websites have also included, there is a sitemap of the SingTelShop website. This allows customers to explore the website in one glance so that they would not be too lost in the website. It is a good starting point for first time users who are making their first purchase at SingTelShop online.

With the online SingTelShop being established, customers will have an alternative to surf for the latest product information and promotions. They will also be able to make purchases without having to make personal trips down to the nearest SingTel Hello Shop and waiting for the Hello shops assistants to attend to them. The website overcomes the restriction of time and space by allowing customers to shop around the clock in the comfort of their homes. It is also a value added service for customers who are unable to step out of their homes, thus bringing them convenience.

An incentive for customers to turn to online shopping would be regular online promotions which are only applicable to customers who make their purchases online. Customers who make their purchases online will also enjoy free delivery of their purchase products right to their doorstep.

Despite being an online website, SingTelShop ensures 2-way communication with its customers. Besides providing information of products online, SingTelShop also has FAQs for customers to refer to should they have any enquiries. If customers are still in doubt, they can also call the SingTel hotline or email their enquires. This further strengthens SingTel aim of providing value added services to customers without being limited by time and space.

Weaknesses

Non-Internet savvy people or customers who have no IT background may find online shopping not secured enough. They do not have sufficient knowledge about the advanced technology in Internet security and thus, prefer to make purchases the traditional way by going down personally to SingTelShop brick and mortar outlets.

Customers who have lack of trust for the online SingTelShop products may also feel that they are not guaranteed high quality and problem-free products if they purchase them online as they cannot "touch" and "feel" the products.

In addition, not all customers will read through the Terms and Conditions that are tagged along with every transaction they make. Some customers do not even have the optimal literacy level and legal knowledge to go through and understand all the information under the Terms and Conditions.

All customers who wish to make purchase on the website have to register an account first. This procedure can be very troublesome for some who dislike filling in long forms. Customers who also have registered for various accounts online may also have a hard time remembering the passwords for their accounts.

Due to the above weaknesses, customers still prefer to head down to the SingTel shops personally and have face to face contact with experienced sales assistants who can advise them better. As a result, the online SingTelShop might not be able to capture their desired level of audience on their E-Commerce website.

Despites advancements in technology, there is still a risk of IT security being compromised. The Internet is not 100% foolproof and there are still hackers lurking in cyberspace. Thus, as much as SingTel wishes to maintain a high level of security, they are not 100% guaranteed against Internet hacking or virus attacks. As a result, IT programmers in SingTel should regularly update themselves on the latest technology and keep their anti-virus software updated to minimize such IT infringements by hackers.

Conclusion

Although SingTel has a combined mobile subscriber base of 185.3 million customers from its own operations and regional associates at the end of May 2008, competitors like StarHub and MobileOne are still hot on her heels. As such, competitors will go all out to match or even perform better than SingTel. Both Starhub and M1 also provide onlin shopping experience to its customers.

In order to outperform its competitors, SingTel should regularly maintain and update its website so that it does not become obsolete soon. It should also stay attuned to its customers’ changing preferences and lifestyles.

SingTel has evolved from being a telecommunications company to being a lifestyle hub which provides its customers with latest updates on products anytime, anywhere. It is no doubt that SingTel has become one of the leaders in Singapore E-Commerce industry.