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
Demonstration subscriptions
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
Configuring various types of subscriptions
Konnect Soft configures up to 3 different types of subscriptions.
Further subscription types can be configured, subject to specification by
client and price proposals from Konnect Soft.
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.