There are two type of Internet Applications: authenticated and
unauthenticated. An authenticated application is one that requires a
login ID and password. An unauthenticated application allows visitors
to use the Internet application without signing in. An authenticated
applications can generate much business intelligence about customers, their
preferences, interests and purchases.
To obtain a user ID and password, web users are normally required to
register. They are normally required to provide
a valid email address, their name and address and some personal profile information such
as hobbies and interest. This data is stored in a database that can be
integrated with web usage data from web server logs.
Sometimes users aren't required to submit a registration over the
Internet. Using data from their internal corporate data, the business sends a login ID and password to their customers.
Each time the login ID is used, data is collected about the Internet session.
Whether or not a visitor is authenticated, most Internet Applications
retain statistics on application usage such as how the visitor navigated
through the application. This is required to identify
technical issues and usage patterns.
By leveraging data available from authenticated applications, subsequent
visits can be customized for users.
