Microsoft Merchant Server, released in October 1996,
[Merchant Server 1.0 announced](_blank)
(press release) was
Microsoft's solution for the growing business-to-Consumer sales business taking place on the Internet. Only one version was shipped, then its technology was folded into
Microsoft Site Server 2.0, Commerce Edition.
Technology
The technology at the heart of Merchant Server originated at a company named
eShop Inc., which Microsoft acquired in June 1996.
[Microsoft Acquires eShop](_blank)
(press release) It was primarily built using
Python,
[Microsoft Ships Python Code](_blank)
a blog post discussing how Microsoft shipped Python code in 1996 with additional C++ code to plug into
IIS and to run the primary server code as an NT Service.
Microsoft's
Active Server Pages was shipped in December 1996,
[ Active Server Pages 1.0, released in December 1996] two months after Merchant Server's release, so Merchant Server was unable to use that for page generation. Instead, it incorporated its own custom templating system, similar to the EZT templating system.
[EZT: EaZy Templating](_blank)
a templating mechanism written by the same author in later years, following a similar model to the templating used at eShop and then by Merchant Server
The custom templating system was thrown out, and the core technology of Merchant Server was converted into COM Objects to be used by Active Server Pages. This revamp of the system appeared in Site Server 2.0 in early 1997.
Naming
Microsoft chose the name "Merchant Server" because, at that time,
Netscape
Netscape Communications Corporation (originally Mosaic Communications Corporation) was an American independent computer services company with headquarters in Mountain View, California and then Dulles, Virginia. Its Netscape web browser was onc ...
was shipping a product named Commerce Server. To avoid trademark issues, Microsoft needed a different name. When Merchant Server was folded into Site Server, they were able to use the term "Commerce" as a subtitle to the trademarkable "Site Server" name.
In later years, after Netscape's product was no longer in the market, Microsoft was able to return to their original desire and call it
Microsoft Commerce Server.
Related Technologies
Merchant Server required the
Windows NT 4.0 operating systems. It was also dependent on SQL database, such as
Microsoft SQL Server or
Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
.
See also
*
Microsoft Site Server
*
Microsoft Commerce Server
References
External links
Microsoft, Developer of Merchant Server
Microsoft server software
1996 software
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