E-commerce software company adds security measures

That’s the reason Springfield software developer McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates Inc. has teamed with Arlington, Va.-based BuySafe Inc. A partnership reached in March allows McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates to offer surety bonding for its online merchant clients.

BuySafe conducts background checks on online merchants before granting its services. If deemed reliable, BuySafe, with the help of insurance companies including Liberty Mutual, issues a bond for each bonded transaction. The bond guarantees that BuySafe will compensate the customer if an online merchant fails to deliver on its promises.

“We want to be associated with the biggest, most reputable companies online,” said Shannon McMurtrey, founder and president of McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates, noting a similar partnership reached with Google Checkout a few months ago. “The BuySafe partnership has already been beneficial for us.”

The top product of McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates, which works from 333 Park Central East, Ste. 601, is Web-based shopping cart software Cart32. About 22,000 online merchants in 50 countries – including Fuddruckers and the Harlem Globetrotters – use Cart32 for their virtual shopping cart interfaces.

Shop with confidence

BuySafe was founded about three years ago to offer bonding service to merchants on eBay and other online auction sites. About a year ago, it expanded into bonding all types of online merchants. To accomplish that, BuySafe sought alliances with large e-commerce software companies, including Fort Myers, Fla.-based MIVA Inc. and Del Mar, Ca.-based Zoovy Inc.

BuySafe initiated the relationship with McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates. Now, BuySafe’s bonding services are integrated into Cart32.

“It helps our customers,” McMurtrey said. “People who visit their site end up actually clicking the buy button and doing business with them instead of leaving for fear of being ripped off. When our merchants do well, we do well.”

BuySafe paid McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates an undisclosed development fee, and those two firms, along with online merchants that use BuySafe-enabled Cart32 software, share ongoing revenues. Online customers can choose regular or BuySafe-bonded transactions at the point of checkout. The BuySafe option adds 3 percent to 5 percent to the customer’s purchase price, according to Rob Caskey, BuySafe’s head of marketing.

“Cart32, specifically, and other cart providers are important for us to get the message out there to consumers and merchants about how to implement the solution and how to make e-commerce really safer and more efficient for everyone who’s involved,” Caskey said. “Cart32 is a phenomenal company.”

While Cart32 is McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates’ bread-and-butter product, it’s not the company’s only offering.

McMurtrey founded the firm in 1989 as McMurtrey & Associates Inc., offering custom software development. Since then, it has designed Web sites for BKD LLP and Justice Jewelers. Current local clients include Lawrence Photo & Video.

Today, it continues to design custom software, including Web site design, but half of its 14 employees operating from downtown’s Woodruff Building support Cart32, currently on its sixth version.

Bryan Whitaker joined McMurtrey in 1993, and the firm was renamed. McMurtrey designed the business model for Cart32, and Whitaker wrote the software for the program that debuted in 1996.

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The signature product of Springfield-based McMurtrey/Whitaker & Associates is Cart32 e-commerce software. Here’s an inside look at the software development firm:

Address: 333 Park Central East, Ste. 601, Woodruff Building

Past and current clients: BKD LLP, Justice Jewelers and Lawrence Photo & Video

Employees: 14

Founded: 1989 as McMurtrey & Associates; 1993 under current structure