By Sally Watson, 29 September 1999 10:17
NEWS Clicksure has today swelled the ranks of online trading 'kitemarks' with the launch of what it claims is the first independently run quality verification programme to be applied on a global scale. The company offers a 'kitemark' logo to Web traders which are able to prove their security, reliability, privacy and high standard of customer service. With the global boom in ecommerce, Clicksure managing director, Christopher Upton, claims there will be a huge demand for this type of service. "This is quality assurance," he said. Clicksure has accreditation from the Dutch government and has appointed a board of independent advisors to oversee its regulations and policies. The council includes Derek Wyatt MP; David Kerr, MD of the Internet Watch Foundation; Nicolas Landsman, secretary general of EuroISPA; and representatives from the International Chamber of Commerce and the US Electronic Commerce Association. "Everyone exists as part of society and has a social responsibility," said Upton. "We [Clicksure] don't say what it should be, but we make our members think about it." The company has also signed up businesses as signatories, including IBM and PSINet, to make sure businesses are consulted about changes in regulations. Clicksure's first customer is UK bookstore, Blackwells. Vafa Payman, research and development manager for Blackwells Information Services, said it is crucial to protect and reassure consumers. "Clicksure is much more stringent in its due diligence than other companies I have seen. We filled the form out in very great detail. It's important to the consumer to know what the checkmark stands for." Clicksure certification costs $250 plus an $80 monthly fee. The company promises biannual reassessments of every Clicksure site to make sure standards are maintained. For more information see http://www.clicksure.com
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