Sanderson Wins Best Technology Solution Award

Sanderson, the publicly owned provider of multi-channel retail software, won the "Best Technology Solution" award at the Direct Commerce Supplier of the Year Awards ceremony held at Queens Club in London this week.

The Direct Commerce Supplier of the Year Awards recognize the best of the UK’s specialist suppliers to the direct commerce sector, acknowledging the outstanding contribution these companies make to the multichannel retail market.

The Direct Commerce Supplier Awards takes nominations from client companies, asking them to vote for the suppliers that have contributed the most to their businesses. Hundreds of nominations were made with 30 companies reaching the short list and 10 successful winners.

No Online Sales Tax Legislation On the Horizon

According to Website Magazine, "Legislators are apparently split over whether they should pass the Marketplace Fairness Act, which forces online retailers to collect sales tax in those states where they have no physical presence (or nexus).

"The bill is backed by national brick-and-mortar retailers (e.g. Walmart, Target), who have to collect sales tax on the Web because they have physical operations in the states that collect sales taxes. They often are competing against smaller Web shops that are located out of state and therefore are not required to collect sales tax under the existing Supreme Court precedent."

"A bipartisan group passed the Marketplace Fairness Act out of the Senate last year on a 69-27 vote, led by Sens. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., and Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., but it has languished in the House."

Note, of course, that eCommerce merchants DO have to collect sales tax where they DO have any presence (HQ, call center, warehouse). 

PCI DSS 3.0

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is migrating from version 2.0 to 3.0 on January 1, 2015.  Though a refinement of 2.0, 3.0 consists of 12 requirements to provide a "baseline of technical and operational requirements designed to protect cardholder data." They are as follows:

Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems
1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters 
Protect Cardholder Data
3. Protect stored cardholder data
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
5. Protect all systems against malware and regularly update anti-virus software or programs
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications     
Implement Strong Access Control Measures
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know
8. Identify and authenticate access to system components
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data 
Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
11. Regularly test security systems and processes
Maintain an Information Security Policy
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel   

For the official document on PCI DSS changes in 3.0, click HERE.