Member Article

Halton’s e-COMPASS project helping businesses fight online fraud and boost sales

Halton Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise is offering an opportunity to SME e-shops in the region to access the kind of online services usually afforded by large, market-dominant corporations.

The SME e-COMPASS project offers real-time and on-demand web-based applications and services to SME e-commerce providers that they could not afford.

It also assists SMEs that do not yet have the business capacity for ordering customized applications from large IT and software providers – such as the more expensive forms of retail or security software.

As Chief Executive Paula Cain explained, the ‘e-COMPASS’ project’s key benefits are based on helping innovative owners of small e-Shops improve their security and increase sales revenues.

She said: “By offering useful online services which can be electronically integrated into their own e-Shop and used online, we can really help SME businesses across the region gain a competitive advantage. The project is also exclusive to Halton Chamber in the UK, a fact we’re very proud of.

Western Europe leads the world in retail e-commerce sales with the UK the most mature market.

Mrs. Cain added: “Looking at the Halton and Merseyside region, there are very strong opportunities for SMEs to gain a considerable share of the market currently dominated by a few large players via their involvement with e-COMPASS.”

In order to develop these online services, Halton Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise, along with their project partners in Greece, Germany and Spain, are asking e-shop owners to complete a short on-line questionnaire via http://bit.ly/1qy8wR7

The SME e- COMPASS research project and its results are funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, which is being managed by the Research Executive Agency.

The deadline for submission is Friday, 23rd May, 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .