E-Commerce
How the Cloud is Helping Merchants Embrace Digital Transformation
Cloud technology has democratized digital e-commerce solutions that were previously available only to large enterprises. With the right suite of tools — enabled by APIs and a scalable cloud infrastructure — businesses of all sizes can conduct sales seamlessly and in a more far-reaching and impactful way. Understanding the basics of cloud computing and how APIs work is foundational to using digital technology to grow your business and providing cutting-edge service.
What Is Cloud Technology and How Does It Deliver Agility?
Cloud computing has several connotations, depending on the user and the cloud's role in a broader technological architecture. As far as businesses are concerned, cloud technology enables companies to host data and applications on remote servers that can be accessed from anywhere. They can also take advantage of third party cloud-based apps within their technology suite.
With cloud technology, businesses are no longer tied to proprietary infrastructure. Software updates and server upgrades on cloud applications can be automated, meaning less lag-time between adoption of new versions and less hands-on work for in-house technology teams. Because managing data and computing power are core strengths of cloud services providers, they can help merchants more effectively integrate and protect information and applications.
Cloud applications help merchants more quickly and efficiently integrate best-in-class capabilities into e-commerce platforms. The combination of APIs and cloud computing provides merchants with the agility they need to quickly adapt to evolving consumer preferences, cybersecurity risks and regulations.
How APIs and Cloud Architecture Work Together to Benefit Business
Conducting transactions online is more important than ever, amid changing global economic circumstances and evolving consumer behavior. With the power of cloud computing and payment APIs, businesses can accept payments via digital platforms without having to reinvent the wheel with their own code and infrastructure.
Merchant services and payment APIs can provide plug-and-play compatibility with existing or new e-commerce websites, which means merchants can stand up online stores quickly and continuously enhance the consumer experience. Customers can easily and seamlessly transact on the merchant's website, checking out via trusted payment services that they are likely already accustomed to using.
It's also important that businesses that accommodate e-commerce transactions can stay up to date with ever-changing compliance and regulatory requirements. Using payment APIs, a merchant can keep their e-commerce platforms seamlessly updated to promote ongoing compliance without the need for manual, and often disruptive, intervention.
Finally, security is a major factor again. Merchant-service APIs provide top-level security without having to hire a dedicated IT and security staff to keep ahead of threats.
J.P. Morgan’s Approach to Cloud Architecture Promotes Merchant Agility and Efficiency
Cloud-based payment technology doesn't just provide benefits for merchants looking for safe, efficient and trusted platforms for digital payments. The benefits of cloud technology are also consumer-facing, resulting from APIs that create simple, contextual anytime/anywhere payment experiences.
According to a 2019 Forbes Insight and J.P. Morgan survey of 300 global business leaders, improving the speed and simplicity of online and mobile payments is a top strategic priority. Consumers want the ability to make transactions whenever and wherever they want – and do so without worrying about fraud or other security threads. To offer a class-leading e-commerce service, merchants must keep all of these imperatives in mind.
However, staying on the cutting edge to facilitate these priorities can be resource-intensive for engineering and IT teams — and also require diverse investments in development and security resources that many companies do not want or can't afford to make. J.P. Morgan’s approach to deploying flexible payment APIs and scalable cloud platforms can help businesses maintain best-in-class capabilities without dedicating resources to building and maintaining their own technology stack.
In today’s digital world, our clients need the ability to go to market quickly as well as scale their operations to respond to changing requirements. We provide solutions that to rise to the occasion – providing the speed, efficiency and flexibility needed to effectively serve today’s customers and those to come.
To learn more, please contact your J.P. Morgan representative.
