Subscription control

Overview

Konnect Soft’s subscription control system enables publishers to control access to content delivered to the end user via the web.

Subscription management and control functionality allows the information publishers to create subscriptions for users, whereby subscribers are able to search and view the content of their subscription.

Content that end users can access can be designated as follows:

• Ability to classify content in the system as being available free of access control on the web
• Ability to classify content as being available on the web to subscribers only
• Ability to charge for access controlled content (content accessed by end users) - extensive e-commerce features handle purchase, payment and billing.

Subscriptions

A subscription designates access to full or partial content and includes:

• Price
• Specified subscription start periods
• Expiry date, or number of days valid from signup date
• Dates of reminders to re-subscribe
• Product details – definition of authorized data sets/product sets
• Etc.

Access to products or “sets” of content

Content can be divided into different products (i.e. one does not necessarily need to offer access to all data – a publisher can designate sub-sets of the data as different products). 

Subscriptions to these products are then sold to the customer, who then has the ability to search, view, and print the relevant content.

Expiration and auto-reminders

When the subscription is about to expire the user receives an e-mail reminding them to re-subscribe.  The publisher defines the date or number of days before expiry at which point the user can be reminded by e-mail to re-subscribe.

All user subscriptions are checked periodically to see if they are about to expire or have already expired.  For each user whose subscription is about to expire (e.g. a defined number of days before expiration) or has expired (e.g. a defined number of 15 days after expiration) is automatically sent an e-mail. 

The e-mail will contain either a pre-expiration reminder if it is sent before expiry, or a post expiration reminder if it is sent after expiry.  The e-mail will contain a link which will take the user to a subscription renewal page where they can renew their subscription.

Automatic renewal

Automatic renewal of subscriptions can be activated as required.

IP address access management

Validation of IP address allows organizations with static IP addresses or ranges to be authorized to access content without supplying any login details (where enabled).

The system can enable access by individual IP addresses or by ranges of IP addresses.  The administrative interfaces allows:

• IP addresses to be assigned to organizations and subscriptions
• IP addresses can be blocked
• The IP addresses of users accessing the system are logged
• Reports can be generated showing which IP addresses have accessed the system

Trail or demonstration subscriptions

Trial or demonstration subscriptions are essentially treated in the same way as normal subscriptions but:

• Without payment being required
• Providing only partial access to content (the criteria for which are specified by the client) i.e. the demonstration set of content

Users accounts

A list of users who have subscribed to or otherwise purchased access to the content is maintained. 

An account is associated with each user containing relevant details with administrator functionality allowing one to create, delete or modify user accounts.  A user account typically includes:

• Login details
• Contact details
• Usage details

E-Commerce

Overview

E-commerce functionality is implemented wherever the client wants to give users the ability to purchase online.  Konnect Soft provide real time credit card processing linked to any of the major providers.  All e-commerce functionality utilises secure communications to protect the client’s data.

The system utilises appropriate purchase options:

• Credit card (real time credit card transaction verification) - multi-currency payment can be supplied on request
• Payment following invoice

Web based content - access purchase

A user registers by providing appropriate contact details and can then order online or purchase via an offline purchase method.

Access to content delivered over the web is normally controlled by these login details to verify identification.

Purchases are selected from the product price list which are then added to the shopping cart for check out and purchase. 

Once access for the applicant has been enabled by the client following fulfilment of payment criteria, login details are then forwarded to the end user.

Credit card payment

Credit cards are checked and authorised online with major cards supported.

An online credit card payment gateway is utilised to validate and bill credit cards in real time.  This functionality increases security, reduces labour costs and (subject to the product or online service) fulfils the order automatically. 

The online payment gateway bills the credit card automatically and deposits the payment into the supplier’s account.

Multi-currency facilities can be provided as required.

Payment functionality is supplied to support “charging for content” as well as the option to extend to the purchasing of physical product.

VAT/sales tax and shipping calculations

Dependent on the products selected and where the customer is located, prices are, as required, calculated in terms of:

• Applicable VAT/sales taxes
• Etc.

Customer accounts database

Customer account records are created automatically when a customer makes an order for the first time and includes order details and purchase history

These accounts can also be created or edited by the site owner from the administrative backend.

Security

All e-commerce functionality utilizes secure communications (using encryption and/or certificates) to protect the client’s and users’ data.

More details

See Ecommerce Overview for more details.