Part III studies the typical approaches to implement a shared platform, from both a hardware and software point of view. The goal is to demonstrate how technology can be used to fulfill the business and project needs outlined in Part I, “Business Perspective—Opportunities and Challenges of Multisite Commerce,” and Part II, “Implementer’s Considerations for Efficient Multisite Commerce.” Data sharing architecture patterns are presented for typical multisite scenarios.

The information is technical in nature, but most of it does not require advanced knowledge of technology. Except for a few sections, a person with limited familiarity with the world of computing should be able to understand the key ideas presented here.