2. Data hosting and transport

Hosting your service corresponds basically to putting content which has previous been created online. You have invented a service and created its packaging or had it created for three different formats (Web/PC, laptop and GSM), you must now find a host who will allow the best possible access to each type of user. In the medium term, it is difficult to tell which companies will achieve the best link between the professional public and the general public, but two types of access provider to electronic commerce are already distinguishable :

- the TPC/IP based networks:

• PC/Windows-Mac-Unix : the traditional type of Internet access by personal computer, and the most common at present. Professional usage will continue to be in the majority for a long time.
• High bandwidth Internet access (cable, satellite, ADSL) : different systems will in future be able to allow much faster access to small portions of Internet. If the services you want to reach are also on a high bandwidth, access is fast, but as soon as you surf on the ordinary Web, you are subject to Internet's bottlenecks. To offer truly multimedia applications to this network's users, it will probably be necessary to create specific Websites which will be hosted on machines near the users.
• Web phone : a machine of the Minitel type which allows users to telephone and to connect to Internet.
• Web TV : a decoder which offers easy access to Internet by television.
• Internet by mobile phone : more and more mobile phone companies offer Internet access. For the moment, the service is limited to e-mail, but mobile phones will soon be equipped with screens to display multimedia functions such as Internet.
• Laptops : pocket-sized computers (Psion or other makes compatible with Windows CE).
  - the non-Internet companies
• digital television (by cable or satellite) which already provides electronic commerce services. The various operators use different systems, among which Open TV seems one of the most promising.
• mobile phones which offer independent access to Internet, information services and online banking.

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