SSL - Secure socket layer
The Business Pro web and email hosting account allows you to utilise Giacom's secure server certificate to create a secure ‘https’ link between the server and your client. When a page is accessed from the secure server, the user sees the familiar warning box explaining that all pages will now be encrypted, and the padlock will appear in the corner of the browser.

The secure server option can easily be activated from myGiacom. Typical uses for this option include the securing of client data that is entered into a form, or the secure display of passwords held in a database.

ODBC
To build dynamic web sites, you often need to pull or store information in a database. Giacom’s Business Pro package comes with the option of using an Microsoft Access database file.

You can create the database structure on your PC, then upload the database file to the server. Using a DSN (Data Source Name), Giacom can connect the server to the database which will enable it to be called from your scripts, and calculate or display the results accordingly.

A good example of database use on the Business Pro package is an Estate Agent-type web site. The database would hold details of each home for sale, plus the price and location of the photo, which will be pre-loaded to the web space. When a user selects to view the details of a certain property, the database is queried and the information passed back to the browser for display.

Databases are commonly used for their speed and ease of accessing data that is frequently changing. For example, a query can be applied to a database to output all goods priced at £9.99 or below. This would rely on a single command to the database making information retrieval both simple and powerful.