Keeping Online Orders Flowing: Web-Based Retail Application Delivery Control

This paper discusses how online retailers can better prepare their applications to meet increasing, but often irregular, demand. It aimed at those tasked with managing online retail applications and those that manage the revenue streams that rely on them. The volume of sales being taken online continues to grow. Ensuring that customers receive a prompt and personal experience is essential to the ongoing success of online retail. One of the key challenges for retailers is management of the applications that provide up-to-date information about what's on offer to customers and handle their orders. However, due to increasing demand, the applications that drive retail websites are under stress. This is problematic at times of peak load when poor performance can lead to frustrated customers and lost orders. It is also necessary to make sure customers are confident about security and that they receive a service customized to their needs when possible. Application delivery controllers can enable an optimized, secure and personal online retail experience for all. Offering an unreliable online service is not an option in the 21st century the competitive market today. Those organizations that compete best in the long term will be those with a reputation for secure trading and providing their customers with a personal experience that can exceed that achievable on the high street.