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These days, compliance with the industry's security practices is one of the most significant concerns regarding ecommerce hosting. In the year 2004, an association of credit card providers developed the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. While they were at first only recommendations for keeping consumers' personal information secure, they now have the force of contract in most merchant agreements. And since customers are more willing to deal with a company which protects their credit information, these guidelines are helpful to everyone involved.

The current standards follow under 12 major requirements, each of which is broken down into many sub-requirements. These requirements run the gamut from technical guidelines to well-defined business practices. Technical requirements include encrypting data as it is stored and transmitted. Additionally, a company must control who has access to the data, both digitally and physically.

While adhering to the PCI standards is a must for any company storing, transmitting or processing credit card information, adherence can be difficult for small and medium-sized companies. The simplest way to deal with this is to purchase one-stop ecommerce hosting -- a package of ecommerce solutions that handles everything from transaction processing to online shopping cart software. This moves the problem of compliance off sellers, guarantees PCI compliance, and lets business get back to selling.

A reliable PCI-complaint hosting provider is mandatory for any company planning to enter the ecommerce segment. Most of the times it is easy to evaluate an ecommerce hosting with the help of a third party opinion website, however, it is always helpful to check for some references also. As this kind of a business relationship is very intricate, it always helps to choose a hosting provider with a proven track record.

Other benefits available in ecommerce solutions besides security features found in ecommerce hosting should be evaluated. Many hosting companies will frequently work with their customers and provide online shopping cart software. When your hosting provider understands your software, they can provide great benefits as well, including excellent technical support. In doing so, you will experience less downtime and a web site which your customers are happy shopping on.

There are many challenges to face in creating a successful ecommerce store. It is easy focus on solely on product selection and marketing strategies. However, nothing is more important than easing a customer's mind about his or her private information and complying with your credit card provider's merchant agreement. Partnering with a secure and PCI-compliant ecommerce hosting provider makes good sense from all angles.