to learn the ABCs.

Despite the recent proliferation of news centred around the concept of doing business electronically, many business people are still scratching their heads and asking what it all means.

That's what was revealed in a recent informal survey by the local Chamber of Commerce, Logic Communications and the Bermuda chapter of business group Information Systems Audit and Control Association.

And to address the problem the Chamber, Logic and ISACA have marshalled their forces to organise the Island's first e-commerce conference to be held later this year.

Chamber spokeswoman Robin Trimingham said online research into what local and overseas business people wanted to know about e-commerce had unveiled some surprising results.

"The basic ABCs of electronic commerce was easily the most popular subject that people really were interested in,'' she explained yesterday.

"After that the topics they chose were security considerations, `Credit Card Processing 101', and the secrets of successful websites along with legal issues and the benefits of an offshore company when it comes to e-commerce.'' Ms Trimingham said it was those responses that helped organisers draw up the conference grid to address a broad range of electronic issues for small businesses, large companies and even entrepreneurs out on their own.

She said the two-day meeting would be an educational event designed to promote awareness of the e-commerce industry at the same time as garnering international publicity for Bermuda as an e-commerce centre.

Logic Communications business development manager Melanie Burns said the informal research had uncovered that people wanted answers to such basic questions as what e-commerce was and "how to do it''.

"With the survey we were gauging the interest of the community so we could use that to really mould the conference because it is designed to be very much a customer driven event.

"We gathered as much information as possible to find out which speakers and topics would be most valuable to business people.'' And she said even early responses indicated the conference -- which organisers suspect will be attended by about 120 delegates -- was likely to be sold out.

The Elbow Beach Hotel, law firm Appleby, Spurling & Kempe and long-distance telephone service TeleBermuda are sponsoring the event to keep costs for attendees well down.

The non-profit conference will be held at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute on October 12 and 13.