SQL, DB2, structured, unstructured, graphics, and raw HTML are forms of data you are likely to encounter. Some of the data is in databases, while other data is in simple files. Map your access to this data carefully. Make sure that you and your outside partners have access to it and that it can be maintained easily by the originating author. They verify that a given public key belongs to a given individual.
Privacy is maintained by the use of a tunneling protocol, encryption, and other security procedures.
Next you should consider what are acceptable response times. What may be acceptable to you may not be acceptable to your customer. This issue should not be underestimated. Maintenance of content, directories, lists, and other information is no small task. Some information will be in databases maintained by an IS department, while specialized data such as images and graphics may be maintained by a corporate graphics department.