| eCommerce, Ecommerce, e-commerce; however you | | | | junk mail is known as spam. Terrabytes of |
| spell it, the term is now firmly lodged in | | | | spam is circulating around the Internet at |
| our language. So just what is it? | | | | any given time, which slows down our global |
| | | | network. While this is one of the negative |
| At it's most simplistic level; eCommerce is | | | | aspects of eCommerce, direct marketing ploys, |
| simply the buying and selling of goods, | | | | if carried out properly are a very successful |
| services or information via the World Wide | | | | and acceptable way of generating income for a |
| Web, email or other pathways on the Internet. | | | | business |
| It is here to stay and will play a bigger | | | | |
| role in our lives over the years ahead. | | | | - Security services. The broad exposure of |
| Ecommerce and Ebusiness are interchangeable | | | | (and sometimes hyped) dangers of credit card |
| terms. eCommerce can be broken down into the | | | | and direct debit transactions via the |
| following sections: | | | | Internet has rocketed the growth of many |
| | | | companies who provide security services to |
| - eTailing. These are mainly "virtual" | | | | protect consumer & business transactions. |
| storefronts which act as a catalogue of | | | | This can include authorisation/encryption |
| products of merchants and usually include a | | | | technologies and creating secure areas on web |
| "shopping cart" system to enable consumers to | | | | sites. This will be a growth area for as long |
| purchase online with the use of credit cards. | | | | as eCommerce is with us because you can |
| Today's Internet climate dictates that if you | | | | guarantee that as soon as a new "unhackable" |
| can't buy what you see online while you are | | | | technology is introduced - someone has hacked |
| online; you will probably lose the sale. The | | | | it. Some hackers view themselves as rebels, |
| great advantage of etailing is international | | | | antiestablishment and "socialists"; but in |
| coverage at minimum cost and the ability to | | | | reality they actually fuel the security |
| trade 24 hours a day with minimum staffing | | | | services market and provide huge dividends |
| levels. The benefits to consumers are | | | | for shareholders in successful security |
| shopping from home and a wide range of | | | | services firms. Good one guys... you won't |
| choice. This range of choice can sometimes be | | | | change the world for the better by sniffing |
| a downfall as it confuses some consumers who | | | | around bank accounts! |
| in frustration may give up on buying the | | | | |
| product at all! | | | | - Statistics. Demographics and survey results |
| | | | regarding Internet habits is a huge industry. |
| - EDI (Electronic Data exchange). This is the | | | | Web planners rely on information from these |
| business to business (b2b) flow of | | | | sources in planning web sites and justifying |
| information between companies or within a | | | | marketing and promotional expenediture. |
| company itself. The 90's saw the concept | | | | |
| information equalling power. Whatever creates | | | | - B2B (Business to Business). When I began in |
| power also generates money and therefore | | | | Computer Hardware sales some years ago, I |
| creates new enterprises to supply this | | | | spent a great deal of time and money on |
| information. EDI is being replaced with XML. | | | | national and international phone calls to |
| He with the most relevant data on his hard | | | | locate components. In 2001, if contacting a |
| drive wins! | | | | supplier meant having to pick up a telephone; |
| | | | I wouldn't bother doing business with them. |
| - Email and faxing. Direct marketing through | | | | The B2B world of today means that wholesalers |
| email. Unfortunately, it also creates the | | | | and retailers have a means of fast and |
| equivalent of what we find in our physical | | | | efficient communications and transactions; |
| mailboxes every day; junk mail - electronic | | | | the Internet. |