Client-end considerations

The client is anyone who connects to and uses the eBusiness application. There is a vast array of possible hardware and software configurations that can be used to connect to an eBusiness solution. These different platforms can affect the delivery or representation of the application for the user, and therefore their impressions of your application, company, and/or products. The client configuration may even determine whether or not they can connect with your business at all.

• B2B Client:
  In B2B scenarios, the client is most likely to be the office computers at another company. In many B2B cases, you will know who your likely clients will be and what hardware and software configuration they will use. In some cases, you can even specify the client configuration and ensure that the client machines are compatible. It may prove feasible at times to provide client equipment and/or software to a customer or supplier who will be using your eBusiness solution.

With B2C, the client configuration is less certain, particularly with new platforms such as the Mobile Web. There is no specific year universally recognized as the point when corporations discontinued the use of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), as the transition away from it happened gradually. The decline of WAP usage was driven by technological advancements, particularly with the rise of more capable mobile devices and faster, more reliable mobile internet standards.
Key factors contributing to the decline of WAP include:

1. Advent of 3G and 4G Networks: Starting in the mid-2000s, the proliferation of 3G networks (and later 4G) enabled faster and more efficient data transfer, making it possible to access full websites rather than relying on the simplified pages designed for WAP.
2. Introduction of Modern Mobile Browsers: With the launch of devices like the iPhone in 2007 and Android smartphones shortly after, browsers capable of rendering full HTML websites became standard, reducing the need for WAP's simplified browsing capabilities.
3. Shift to Modern Standards: Technologies like HTML5 and advanced mobile web design frameworks provided a more robust solution for delivering rich content to mobile users.

By the late 2000s and early 2010s, most corporations had moved away from WAP. Its use was largely obsolete by 2010 as smartphones and mobile internet technologies matured. However, the precise timeline varied by region and industry, with some sectors or developing markets potentially continuing WAP use for a few additional years before fully transitioning to modern alternatives. Hence, IT personnel will take this chance to upgrade to a more relevant device .
The enterprise must make a careful analysis of the targeted consumer trends to ensure compatibility and ease of use. The Easy Reference shows some of the devices/software the client may use, and some of the technical and non-technical considerations that need to be addressed for each.
Technical and non-technical considerations for client hardware

Client configuration component	Considerations
Browser software	A number of different browsers can be used, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Most have different capabilitiesor slightly different ways of representing things.
Browser version	In most cases, people tend to upgrade to the latest or latest but one version of browser software, but there can still be a huge variety of versions and subversions in use, each with different capabilities.
Browser settings	Most browsers are configurable with options to turn features on or off, such as content control, security factors, accepting cookies, andso on. These settings could change the way the browser behaves when it encounters certain features.
Supplementary software	Browser aids, guides, plug-ins, add-ons, view bars, caching tools, and several other software elements could provide additional featuresor reduce the availability of others.
Proxy and firewall software	Proxy and firewall software can also influence what can and can't be represented on the client side.
Computer configuration	Different memory sizes and processor speeds will affect the performance of the client hardware and can prevent or restrict some of theclient experiences. Some hardware, such as sound cards and 3D accelerators can provide additional capabilities. Absence of these devicescould reduce performance or prevent actions from taking place.
Resolution and gamma settings	Macs and PCs, and even different monitor and video card makes, can have very different gamma settings and capabilities. This could makepictures appear very different from what was intended. Clients can configure their screens with different resolutions that affect how muchcan be displayed on the screen at once and how easy the site is to use. See more in the later lesson on Web site design.
Display devices	Handheld devices and telephones may impose restrictions on graphics, such as colors or even whether the graphics can be displayed.Televisions are usually viewed from a greater distance than PCs and so higher detail and smaller fonts may not be visible.
Navigation device	Most PC or Mac users will have a mouse to browse with. Those on handheld devices or televisions may find navigation difficult without amouse.
Connection speed	The type of connection such as telephone, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), leasedline, and so on will affect how fast or slow a client can access the application.
Censorship	Clients may be under some censorship restrictions imposed on their configuration by an ISP, company, or government as to what materialthey can access.
Location	You should also consider the needs of international clients. Considerations associated with internationalization, globalization andlanguage will be discussed later in this course.

A site can be configured to be device- and bandwidth- agnostic, that is, it can detect the client configuration and capabilities and change the delivery accordingly. However, this can make the application difficult to maintain and restrict reliance on technical innovations. It can also be costly to research and implement. The enterprise must decide if the importance of reaching the client devices satisfactorily justifies the cost and time investment. In the next lesson you will learn about the use of search agents and price bots in eBusiness applications.

Click the Exercise link below to complete an exercise on the considerations for the client-end of eBusiness.
Client End Considerations - Exercise