1. A Distributed Commerce Utility providing administrate and support services to electronic community participants, the Distribute Commerce Utility comprising: at least one Commerce Utility System providing a secure execution space, the Commerce Utility System performing at least one component based service function, the component based service function comprising at least one secure component for execution within the secure execution space; and a communications facility permitting the Commerce Utility System to communicate secure control information with at least some of the electronic community participants.