Shopping on the Internet is increasingly popular. Concerns about security online are gradually fading away. The advantages offered by online shopping are taking precedence.

The growing trend of a stronger use of shopping portals continues. According to a study by the University of St. Gallen, the Swiss prefer online shopping for books, food items, flight bookings, CDs, tickets, and auctions. There are differences between genders: while men particularly appreciate direct product comparisons, women value not having to carry their purchases home. Men shop online more often than women, who primarily miss a sensory approach to products.

Additional benefits are convincing

Some sites keep a list of reviews for each product. Customers can share their opinion on the product or rate their satisfaction with points. It should be noted that this customer information for other customers can be manipulated by the provider. Reading one or two reviews can still be helpful. This way, you will know if only positive reviews are published.

No more carrying drinks

The two food distributors Migros and Coop are also posting double-digit annual growth rates in online sales. Customers spend over 200 francs per purchase, which is seven times more than in-store purchases. The main reason for buying groceries online is the convenience of not having to carry anything home. Both providers also convince customers with next-day delivery and fresh products.

Generally positive experiences with credit cards

Consumers who don’t shop online often cite their lack of computer skills or concerns over payment security. However, the majority of online shoppers are satisfied: over 90% of those who have paid with a credit card have never had a bad experience or felt uneasy. Often, you can choose the payment method, but most customers prefer bank transfers. If you want to buy on an auction site, you should choose paid payment options, as they include added security.

Christa Gall (Swisscontent Corp.)

Downloading songs and movies, copying texts and photos, everything seems possible on the Internet. But beware: not everything is allowed!

In Antiquity and the Middle Ages, intellectual property did not exist. For instance, a book could not be stolen, but it could be copied. It was normal for many artists and authors to rework existing content, just as it was common for musicians to reuse or modify songs or musical pieces. If an author didn’t want to see their work altered, they would cast a spell on the book and curse anyone who dared falsify it with leprosy.

Copyright is equivalent to copyright law

Nowadays, no one casts spells because laws now exist. Copyright law is equivalent to copyright in Anglo-Saxon legislation. It protects intellectual works in literature and art that have an individual character, i.e., a certain originality, such as literary works, photographs, magnetic tape or music recordings, or even choreographies or pantomimes. Computer programs are also included in works protected by copyright law.

Permission required

Generally, for protected works, one must obtain permission from the author. However, there are exceptions: works published in a private domain or within a circle of close individuals, such as family or friends, may be used without permission. This exception does not apply to computer programs.

The Internet is not a law-free zone

The Internet is not a law-free zone either. The use of copyrighted works from the web is only possible in private. To publish copyrighted works on the Internet, you must have the author’s permission, unless access to the work is restricted to a close circle of people by means of a password.

Severe penalties

Anyone who makes copyrighted songs or movies available on a file-sharing platform is subject to penalties and can face a fine of up to 10,000 francs or even one year in prison.

Links from another site

What about images and texts copied from another site? This is only possible if you have the source’s authorization. Images and texts, therefore, cannot be copied (from a newspaper’s site, for example). However, you can link to other sites without permission.

Videos on YouTube

Can I post videos on the web, for example, on YouTube? Yes, if they are your own (image and sound). Those who use someone else’s material without permission (excerpts from TV shows, movie scenes, and music) are also breaking the law.

Fighting Internet crime

Recently, the Confederation and the cantons created the National Coordination Service for the Fight Against Internet Crime (SCOCI), which receives reports of copyright violations on the Internet. More information at www.cybercrime.ch.

Deborah Balmer (Swisscontent Corp.)

Everyone is talking about the virtual universe Second Life (SL). The online three-dimensional infrastructure allows users to create worlds where internet users interact, play, do business, and communicate.

Since 2003, an estimated nine million people worldwide have registered to frolic in Second Life. About 100,000 Swiss also participate in this global virtual economy. However, the number of active players is smaller and has been declining since mid-2007. Depending on the time of day, between 15,000 and 50,000 people are online.

Swiss companies’ virtual presence

Life in the virtual universe brings a special fascination. Players can not only choose their virtual appearance as they wish, but they also decide the character they want to be in the game: whether living adventures as a superhero or flirting in a virtual bar, almost anything is possible. Individuals are not the only ones present in the virtual parallel world. Companies like IBM, Toyota, Mercedes, Adidas, and Nike, as well as Swiss companies like SBB, Swisscom, and Publigroup, create their “avatars” (virtual people in Second Life) and try their luck in business. These companies know that behind these avatars are real people who also benefit from commerce.

You have to pay to build

Anyone can participate in Second Life. There are free accounts and several types of paid subscriptions ranging from a one-time fee of $10 to a monthly $10. Only paying members can buy their own land on the main continent “Mainland,” a prerequisite for creating virtual infrastructure. Prices vary according to supply and demand. Currently, a full region (about 65,000 square meters) costs $1,650, plus a monthly tax of $295.

Private business in Second Life…

In Second Life, it is possible to trade objects and services freely. Payment is made with Linden dollars. This virtual currency can be converted into real currency (USD) and is thus connected to the real economic cycle. To earn money in Second Life, one can create objects, such as houses or bars, and sell them to other users. This also applies to services or paid virtual jobs, such as maintenance jobs. Linden dollars can also be earned by “camping,” that is, renting out certain places.

…doesn’t guarantee big profits

According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, some individuals try to make a living as Second Life developers, i.e., as merchants and service providers. According to experts, real profit opportunities are limited. Among the more than 400,000 users online in December 2006, only about 400 earned more than 250,000 Linden dollars (about 1,050 francs) per month.

A laboratory for companies

So far, no company has made real profits. Only the creator of Second Life, Linden Lab, is truly making money through participation fees and virtual island rents. According to some estimates, this amounts to about half a million USD per month. Companies in SL mainly aim to learn more about consumer purchasing behavior in order to test new sales methods.

The competition doesn’t sleep

Currently, Second Life is the main platform of its kind in the Western world. Linden Lab’s competitors include Active Worlds, considered by some as the true creator of the online three-dimensional concept, Entropia Universe, There, Newcomer, and the cyberpark Dotsoul. In Asia, platforms are also being developed, like the Chinese platform hipihi.com. The Chinese variant was only created in 2005, and by early October, the HiPiHi universe already had 30,000 residents, according to their own data. The launch of the virtual universe “Home,” developed by Sony, is scheduled for early 2008.

Markus Kick (Swisscontent Corp.)

The modern Internet is called Web 2.0. It is more than just a mass of data. Thanks to new applications, the Internet platform allows users to exchange data and thus interact directly or indirectly.

New applications are booming on the Internet. The enormous amounts invested by major online companies show how important this trend of new applications is. For example, Yahoo acquired the photo-sharing site Flickr, though the purchase price was not disclosed. Google acquired the video-sharing site YouTube for 1.8 billion dollars. Microsoft bought aQuantive, a company specializing in online advertising, for 6 billion dollars.

Today on the Internet

Whoever surfs the Internet can already find these applications. Some are used intensively without users even realizing the technology at work. For example, users viewing the online map of Zurich on www.mapsearch.ch can not only zoom in but also see, for instance, tram stops. And if the cursor hovers over a stop, the user will see the tram schedule for that stop. The map also provides information on restaurants and cinemas in the city.

Collective intelligence

The wider the dissemination of these new technologies, the more apparent the effects will be, as with the fax machine: if only a few people own a fax machine, its use is limited; however, the more widely the fax is available, the more people it can reach, and the more it is used. The information from countless users is gathered in Web 2.0, then reworked and structured through interactions. This way, the new applications possess a form of collective intelligence that surpasses the knowledge and capacity of any single application. The Internet of the future will therefore be significantly more powerful than today.

Web 2.0: the same impact as mobile phones?

The new virtual world will not look like a science fiction movie. Despite all the new developments, it is merely an evolution of already existing technologies. However, we should not forget that this was also true for mobile phones. These have become omnipresent in our lives, whether we like it or not. We might witness the same phenomenon with Web 2.0. Perhaps, in a few years, thanks to new technologies, the Internet will be as present in our lives as mobile phones are now.

Patrick Herger (Swisscontent Corp.)

Online database management systems like Wikipedia work wonderfully. However, to protect against manipulation and incorrect entries, quality controls are necessary.

The days of consulting hefty encyclopedic dictionaries to look up a term are long gone. Today, the Internet offers countless virtual libraries, with decisive advantages over books: text content can be linked, multimedia functions can support text with visual or audio elements, and full-text search functions allow users to find information in the context of the text. Articles can also be updated at any time.

A rapidly expanding virtual newsroom

The most informative and by far the most spectacular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, was not created by a renowned publishing house but by the users themselves. This international project is based on open-source software, allowing all users to add articles or revise old ones; it is therefore a virtual newsroom that grows daily. However, entries vary greatly in quality and length, reflecting more the author’s knowledge than the actual significance.

Secure Wikipedia

Wikipedia has other weak points: in the past, there were incorrect entries and recurrent manipulations, but this should soon change. Starting in November, the standard site will show only entries identified as free from distortion. However, unmarked articles are accessible with one click and can still be edited.

Meyers Lexikon opens up to users

Today, Wikipedia includes 8.2 million articles in 253 languages. This success has forced traditional encyclopedia providers to take action. One possibility is to allow users to contribute to encyclopedic dictionaries. Meyers Lexikon has chosen this strategy. This reference work consists of 24 volumes, 9,000 pages, 150,000 keywords, and around 4,000 photos, plus a DVD, for 237 Swiss francs.

All contributions are reviewed

On the site “lexikon.meyers.de,” everyone is free to contribute to article updates. Additionally, registration is required, and all contributions are reviewed by an editorial team before publication. Unlike Wikipedia, user-revised articles are stored in a special section of the encyclopedic dictionary. Meyers Lexikon online has been on the web for more than a year. According to the publisher, it contains 150,000 keywords and has about 22,000 daily visitors.

Bibliographies on the Internet

Thematic encyclopedias, managed by universities or private users and largely based on scanned works, abound on the World Wide Web. The link collection from the “Bibliografien im Internet” project covers over 200 useful links, but is not always up to date.

Deborah Balmer (Swisscontent Corp.)

Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular. However, in both the United States and Europe, growth rates are expected to be significantly lower this year than in 2006. Increasingly intense competition and higher customer demands are the causes of this decline.

Currently, many companies offer customers the option to purchase goods and services online. Purely virtual companies are rare, however. Generally, in addition to their online platform, they also operate a traditional store. Companies that want to focus solely on the Internet must offer the most advantageous prices, as customers can easily and quickly compare prices online.

Advantage through size

Companies such as the online bookstore amazon.com or the auction website eBay benefit from their size. These companies can order in large volumes and therefore demand discounts from suppliers, which then benefits customers. Smaller competitors do not have this advantage. They must therefore find other compelling arguments besides price to attract new customers. For these companies, it is important that customers can learn about the company and its products through the website. A customer approach that does not focus on price is particularly suitable for companies offering consulting and support services.

Networked customers

The increasing networking of customers is an important trend in e-business. Many companies now offer their customers the chance to publish a brief profile to connect with other customers through the company’s homepage. Product reviews and lists of favorite items are even more common. This form of customer networking will intensify in the coming years and will become more important to support customers during their shopping.

Online presence: a boost for business

Studies have shown that an online presence boosts in-store business. In fact, online stores attract far more customers to the physical store than vice versa. This behavior suggests that many customers research online but prefer to buy in-store. It’s believed that concerns about scams contribute to this trend. Important: a bit of caution is always advised.

Signs of reputable online companies

According to Stiftung Warentest, when shopping online, make sure the company’s full address and a contact number are displayed on the homepage. Additionally, the provider should hold a recognized quality label. The transfer of sensitive information, such as credit card data, should always be done through an encrypted connection. A secure connection begins with “https://” and also displays a padlock symbol (which should remain closed) in the browser. When purchasing online with a credit card, it is strongly recommended to keep payment records. The best way is to print the payment details page.

Patrick Herger (Swisscontent Corp.)

Online professional networks such as Xing or LinkedIn compete with traditional clubs like the Rotary Club or alumni associations. Online clubs may be less exclusive, but they are faster, more global, and easier to use. Headhunters are also increasingly using online networks.

The Rotary Club, traditional and limited to established business professionals, now faces growing digital competition: the publicly traded professional network Xing (a leader in Europe), along with other networks like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com, the U.S. leader, available only in English) and industry-specific networks like AdGabber (www.adgabber.com) and INmobile (www.inmobile.org), threaten the existence of real-world professional networks. Thanks to digital interconnectivity, you can, for example, find business colleagues or potential clients on Xing (www.xing.com) within minutes, after online registration and setting up your profile.

Business success through networking

A young entrepreneur who makes gold clothing reportedly met a businessman from the United Arab Emirates through the Xing platform. This businessman introduced him to clients, thus giving the young entrepreneur a new distribution channel. Xing is a perfect example of Web 2.0 services: on Web 2.0 sites comparable to Xing, such as YouTube or Flickr, content is no longer produced solely by companies in a centralized manner and then disseminated to the masses but also by private individuals networking with each other.

The essence of business: contacts

Contacts are the essence of business. Finding and maintaining them is easiest via the Internet. In automated testing, Xing proved very effective. Just by setting up a free profile, including career information and office address, etc., you become accessible to other members. And indeed, after a few days, Xing members I already know reach out and wish to be added to my personal network. The personal network of contacts grows rapidly and becomes a hub of “guaranteed-benefit” acquaintances. A quick glance is enough to see who you’re connected to. American sociologist Stanley Milgram was right with his “small world” phenomenon: on average, two people are connected by a chain of six relationships.

Finding contacts: an easy task

On Xing, the confidentiality of personal data is largely preserved, with only a few details visible. Access can be limited to certain data. Communication with Xing members takes place through an internal mailing system. External emails notify you of messages or invitations. Xing doesn’t stop at the virtual level: the network also offers business meetings in real life, which makes sense since connecting the real and virtual worlds translates to profit.

The standard profile is free, the rest is paid

The online network is available in 16 languages and already has nearly two million members worldwide. In Switzerland, about 100,000 people are registered with Xing. It is no surprise that headhunters search for qualified employees via Xing. Online networks like Xing and similar platforms generally offer free standard registration. Those who want to expand their profile and view other profiles must pay. On Xing, a one-year subscription costs 120 francs annually.

Bernhard Bircher-Suits (Swisscontent Corp.)

Online telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is very straightforward. Skype is used by most people who utilize mobile telephony. However, this service also has some drawbacks.

Free communication has become a reality. At least, for those who have Internet access, only one more step is required. There are several software providers on the market. The global leader is Skype. Currently, about 170 million people use this software, which is why it takes precedence. This is because only Skype users can call each other for free.

Calling landlines costs money

Those who make or receive calls through landlines must pay. However, the rates are significantly lower than those of traditional operators. Additionally, with Skype, there is no distinction between day, night, or weekend rates. There are no registration, activation, or other fees to pay.

Not always computer-dependent

To receive a call via Skype, it isn’t always necessary to be online; it rings even if the user isn’t connected. However, the computer must be turned on. If you also want to be reachable outside of your home, you can connect a regular phone or mobile phone to the computer, provided you have the necessary software.

A multitude of possibilities

Skype doesn’t only offer free calls. You can also chat, send emails, or exchange large amounts of data, which might exceed the capacity of a typical server. With Skype, you can also talk via webcam and look your conversation partner in the eyes; phone and video conferences are also possible.

Large companies don’t use Skype

Multinational corporations, which could benefit from Skype because they often communicate over long distances via phone or videoconference, do not use Skype. The data they exchange is too sensitive. Skype is mainly suited for private phone calls.

Joining the Skype Family

Using Skype doesn’t require expertise. Anyone can go to www.skype.com and download the program suitable for their operating system (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Pocket PC). To use Skype, at least an ISDN connection is required.

Christa Gall (Swisscontent Corp.)

With email communication, daily office work can be managed far more effectively. However, the countless unnecessary and vague emails quickly become a burden for the user.
_Solution: a good work technique.

Almost everyone working in an office is familiar with this phenomenon: due to its advantages, email quickly became a daily work tool. But it can also feel like a lot of time is wasted on emails. Spam is a problem in this regard; the other issue is careless email management.

A workday for emails

The Swiss Productivity Foundation (www.produktive-schweiz.ch) wanted to learn more and estimated figures from relevant studies: Swiss employees would lose nearly 8.5 million work hours weekly due to inefficient email management. Annually, this results in a loss of 26.7 million Swiss francs. On average, employees spend 1 hour and 20 minutes checking emails. During this time, they write about 21 emails and receive 28. Weekly, employees lose nearly a full workday.

Time-wasting ping-pong...

Thus, it’s essential to manage emails better, which also saves time. But skillful email program management alone is not enough. To boost productivity, it’s crucial to avoid the ping-pong effect. This happens especially when poorly written emails lead to clarification requests, forwards, refusals, and other reactions.

...especially due to content errors

The ping-pong effect is mainly caused by content errors. Experience shows that emails without a subject pose issues for nearly half of users. Other issues include emails that are too long, discussions that should have been conducted through other means, unnecessary urgency flags, chaotic and incomplete content, confusing appointments, and incorrect recipients.

Overcoming communication barriers

Avoid constantly sending messages without being sure that the recipient has the time to review them thoroughly; otherwise, you’ll encounter unnecessary communication barriers and misunderstandings. A tip: even if they’re always reachable, email recipients should impose periods of access restriction and stop constantly checking their inbox.

Message sorting

For many users, messages pile up in the Inbox. It’s easy to lose track. A tip: create various subfolders in the inbox. You should then consistently transfer received messages to these folders. This step can be automated using filtering rules.

Establishing and following rules

Communication requires certain rules. The more these rules are followed, the smoother the information flow. For this, send only necessary emails, and they should be short, structured, and clearly formulated. Stick to this rule and ask the same from others. You can respond to verbose authors with: “shorter and more concise!”

By the way: just give a quick call

In short, email serves many purposes in the workplace. But alongside email, alternative applications are also very useful for office life, such as instant messaging, shared calendars, collaboration tools for more effective project coordination, shared archiving, intranet for general information transfer. Ultimately, there’s still the good old phone to discuss particularly complex or controversial topics without misunderstandings.

Markus Kick (Swisscontent Corp.)

The real-time exchange of messages as well as voice and video files over the internet via instant messaging programs is also increasingly common in companies. This method of direct and quick internet communication has numerous advantages compared to email, which is slower.

Instant messaging (IM) is a software program that allows quick, real-time transmission of messages or files. Compared to chat, SMS, and email, IM offers significant advantages: almost all IM programs are free and easy to use. Messages are transmitted in real-time, unlike email, and compared to more expensive SMS, messages sent via IM are free. Many IM programs save messages sent, even if the message recipient isn’t online. IM software can also forward received messages by SMS to mobile phones.

Short messages gain ground in companies

Experts estimate that about 500 million people worldwide use chat services, either privately or professionally; over 90% of them use IM software. Meanwhile, many companies have also discovered the benefits of IM programs, despite the risk of viruses during data transfer. According to American market research firm Gartner, companies will be unable to avoid implementing instant messaging systems. IM programs will soon become the main means of communication worldwide, not only for text messages but also for phone and video conferences. Gartner predicts that IM usage will increase from the current 25% to 100% by 2011.

Wide range of programs

With IM programs like “Windows Live Messenger” from Microsoft (www.get.live.com/messenger), “Yahoo Messenger” (http://fr.messenger.yahoo.com/), or “Google Talk” (www.google.com/talk), users can see at any time which friends or colleagues are online. You can reach out to these people online with a click of a mouse and then start a conversation. In the meantime, there is a vast choice of IM programs, so it’s worth trusting well-known names: this way, you can contact the maximum number of people.

Multi-messaging as a solution to the problem

Unfortunately, many messaging services are not compatible. Almost all providers use their own data protocols for data transfer. A multi-messaging app, however, recognizes several protocols. Thus, you can use a single multi-messaging app to “simulate” various other messaging services. The advantage is obvious: anyone with accounts from multiple providers can use them all simultaneously on a single program interface. More information on multi-messaging can be found at http://www.softonic.de/suche/multimessenger.

The business model

Providers make money through advertising and additional services like smiley packages, extra features, and SMS forwarding. IM services are also increasingly offered for landline and mobile telephony. Based on IM technology, Microsoft will soon enter the landline market and offer devices with integrated IM software. Thus, IM services will follow us daily in various forms.

Bernhard Bircher-Suits (Swisscontent Corp.)

Online marketing has long been an integral part of the marketing mix for companies. Reaching customers online with advertising banners and newsletters is both effective and advantageous. However, encouraging customers to spread the advertising message themselves can prove even more effective.

Commercial senders have accumulated experience in this area and know that for success in electronic marketing, advertising banners must be legible, user-friendly, and generally placed at the top of the website or on the side. Pop-ups are something one must get used to, as they instantly cover the text. However, due to multimedia elements like video sequences and others, they’re often worth viewing but can be removed with a single click if they’re a nuisance.

Respecting Netiquette

Today, even newsletter senders generally respect recipients’ wishes and follow the Internet community’s rules, known as “Netiquette.” Only those who have expressly given their consent receive information. “Spam,” or unsolicited advertising sent to recipients, is highly disliked by the community and is now punishable by law.

Email marketing: effective and economical

If the sender respects Netiquette when sending emails or newsletters, the response rate, or the measurable reaction rate from users, is significantly higher. The response rate for authorized marketing is 10% to 20%, which is double that of traditional direct marketing. Additionally, email marketing is a cost-saver for companies. In fact, email advertising costs about five times less than mailing printed ads. However, the fundamental ingredients for success remain a good idea and a convincing concept. Without these essential elements, advertising messages have no positive impact on sales and end up in the virtual trash, unread.

Small budget, big effect

Even in viral marketing, the author’s creativity is far more important than the marketing budget. Viral marketing relies on good old word-of-mouth to draw attention to brands, products, or campaigns. As contagious as a virus, news spreads via the internet. This “planned infection” leverages internet users’ irresistible need to communicate, for example, in forums, blogs, and online magazines.

Shining example: “Moorhuhn”

A well-known example of this strategy is the free computer game “Moorhuhn.” Originally launched by whisky producer Johnnie Walker, it quickly spread like wildfire over the internet (carrying the brand logo) and captivated the fan community. Another renowned example of successful viral marketing is the webmail provider Hotmail, or the music-sharing platform Napster, which rallied 70 million users in record time. All these projects share one thing in common: they started from nothing, required no support from classic advertising, and operated on minimal financial resources. However, their advertising and distribution impact was enormous.

Gertrud Rall (Swisscontent Corp.)

Viruses or worms like “Blaster” and “Slammer” have infected millions of computers worldwide. PCs connected to the Internet are particularly vulnerable. With a bit of common sense, technical know-how, and a dash of discipline, it’s possible to work safely on the internet.

Viruses, worms, and Trojans are created by people with criminal intentions (data theft or destruction). The programs, or commands, are intended to spread and then attack as many computers worldwide as possible. But “spyware” (software that spies on confidential data such as passwords) and “cookies” (small text files that are transferred to the PC when visiting a web page) can also lead to data loss or a considerable invasion of privacy.

“Phishing” and “dialers”: beware!

Scammers attempt through “phishing” to access the confidential data of unsuspecting Internet users. This may involve, for example, account data on an auction site (eBay, Ricardo) or access data to e-banking. “Dialers” are small programs that establish an Internet connection via the phone number. In this way, you can settle paid internet services through the phone bill. In cases of abuse, it’s often difficult to convince banks or telephone companies.

Annoying “hoaxes” and spam

“Hoaxes” (emails warning about supposedly very dangerous new viruses) or spam are generally annoying and a waste of time. Following instructions or accepting the offers contained in these emails can be dangerous and lead to high bills. “Hoaxes” can cause data loss or render the PC unusable. But they primarily represent a loss of time and overload the Internet infrastructure.

Updateable firewalls and antivirus

Electronic threats from the internet can be effectively countered. It’s especially important to activate a firewall. It protects computer systems by monitoring incoming and outgoing connections and, if necessary, rejecting them. Essential security software updates (patches) fill security gaps that appear almost daily. Many software applications offer an automatic update function. Up-to-date antivirus software is essential for anyone who downloads programs or data or exchanges them with others.

Backups as a safety net

Despite all security measures, data can still be partially destroyed or entirely lost due to a mistake, technical defect, virus, or worm. To minimize this risk, experts advise making regular backups.

User behavior is crucial

In addition to technical measures, user behavior is also crucial. It’s especially important to choose a secure password, handle emails carefully, and use browser security measures and caution on networks or file-sharing sites while surfing the internet. The MELANI Reporting and Analysis Center for Information Security offers concrete and useful security advice (www.melani.admin.ch).

Markus Kick (Swisscontent Corp.)