Ovum warns of e-commerce pitfalls

It's not just what you sell, it's how you sell it, according to research firm Ovum which claimed yesterday the quality of the commerce server will determine the success or failure of any e-commerce business.

"Choosing the wrong commerce server is like investing in the wrong business," said Heather Stark, principal consultant at Ovum and author of the report 'Ovum Evaluates: Online Commerce'.

"The Internet is like the telephone. You can't just plug it in and expect a business return. No company would think of getting a telephone as their only step towards success."

Stark warned that e-commerce is fraught with pitfalls but added that it should not be ignored by businesses.

"As the Internet changes from a communications channel to a revenue channel, it will trap many organisations into evolutionary blind alleys of their own making."