Woolford Marketing, an Internet marketing organization, estimates that by the year 2000, no fewer than 500 million subscribers will access Internet browser services to purchase goods and services electronically. Like the 1990s, most subscribers are expected to use a single, primary transaction media: credit cards. Given that most people willingly pay annual credit card fees averaging say \($35,\) there's reason to believe the same people would be willing to pay say \($5\) annually to purchase assurances against invasion of privacy and harassment from unwanted solicitors. This translates into a \($2.5\) billion assurance service market (500 million subscribers \($5)\) for data-security assurances alone. For perspective, consider that currently the Fortune 500 companies pay less to public accounting firms for financial statement audits. There's every reason to believe that information technology could create considerable demand for data-security assurances, but no reason to doubt that demand could create ferocious competition from assurance service providers far removed from the public accounting profession.

Required: 

Using a browser service, like Netscape's Navigator or Microsoft's Explorer, link to a Web site that offers retail, business, entertainment, or education purchases.

Draft a report that describes the Web site's offerings and identifies assurances you think consumers (or the Web site manager) would be willing to purchase (or supply). For example, what assurances would you want about credit card number security and freedom from unwanted solicitation?