DEVELOPING A PROTOTYPE OF E-COMMERCE SYSTEM WHICH USES MOBILE-MONEY PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

Shadrack Madila - Msc ICSE/ ITDM School of Computational and Communication Science and Engineering The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania madilas@nm-aist.ac.tz

Abstract
E-commerce is the technology which involves buying goods and services online. As the use of internet grow up so does the number of ecommerce systems increase. The increase in number of e-commerce systems stimulates SMEs to engage in online business. Online business is facing many challenges in its deployment. Among other challenges facing e-commerce are the security of the systems and the trust on part of customers due to insecurity of some e-commerce systems. Internet is a public network which comprises many users among them being hackers who can steal customers information and payments card details. As a result, many customers are afraid of expos ing their information and payment card details through the internet. In this study the use of mobile money payment in local SMEs website was proposed. An e-commerce system prototype (Online book store) which accepts mobile money payment was developed. The user and system requirement were identified and customers acceptance on usin g mobile money payment was determined. The e-commerce system prototype (Online book store) was tested and it was subsequently evaluated. Also this study exposes several challenges which affect the electronic payment systems and shows how the developed system overcomes those challenges. The study has found out that ecommerce system which accepts mobile money payment reduce customer fear of losing payment card details through the internet because the system does not require lots of customer information. Almost 68% of the evaluators declared that the system is good and indeed the best user friend.

Objectives:
The general objective of this study was to develop a prototype of an e-commerce system which uses mobile-money payment system and which is easily accessible and trusted. The specific objectives were: (i) To determine the challenges face e-commerce system payment systems (ii)To identify the user and system requirements and acceptance of mobile money payment system (iii) To design and develop the e-commerce system which uses a mobile-money payment system (iv) To test a prototype of mobile-money payment e-commerce system

Significance of the Research

This research is significant in a way that it promotes the effective developing and implementing the e-commerce systems for SMEs which uses the mobile money payments. Also through the studies conducted, the research is significant for it increases the customer trust on buying online. This is due to, among other things, simplicity in buying (as buying only need limited customer information) and the aspect of security. Finally, the importance of the research is extending to the exposing of the challenges facing e-commerce payment. SMEs, their customers and many other stakeholders will be aware of the challenges of e-commerce payment..
.

E-commerce system prototype Home page:

E-payment system Challenges:

Acknowledgement
Sincere thanks to the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NMAIST) and Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) for sponsoring and awarding the scholarship for this masters work. Also I wish to thanks my supervisors, Dr Yaw Nkansah-Gyekye and my co-supervisor Mr Loserian Laizer. I am

also grateful to my employer MUCCoBS for allowing me to pursue this studies.