WEEKLY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER THREE- E-Business

1.What is an IP Address? What is it’s main function?

Each computer on the internet has an IP address, these can either be private or public, however every address must be unique. Its main function is to provide a unique address for each device on the network.

2. What is Web 2.0, how does it differ from 1.0?

 Web 2.0 is a set of economic, social and technology trends that collectively form the basis for the next generation of the internet. It is characterised by:

• participation
• openness
• network effects. 

It advances internet technology and applications including:

• blogs
• wikis
• RSS
• social networks

It includes hanging what’s on the web and how it works (Turban, King, and Lang 2008). It doesn’t refer to a technical update of specifications; but rather refers to a change in the way software developers and end users use the web as a platform(Turban, King, and Lang 2008). The web is no longer linking just text; its linking people (ie sites such as Facebook).

Some believe that web usage has been increasingly moving towards interaction and rudimentary social networking, which can serve content that exploits the network effect with or without creating a visual, interactive web page(Turban, King, and Lang 2008).This brings the web closer to the concept of web as a democratic, personal, do it yourself medium of communication(Turban, King, and Lang 2008).

It is propelling companies into a new way to do business and gives them opportunities to gain a first movers advantage.

Web 2.0 tools include:

• Google AdSense
• Flickr
• Blogs
• Web Services
• RSS and podcasting
• Search engines
• Napster
• Social networks
• Service oriented architecture

Statistics:

• Over 1.4 billion people worldwide have the internet
• There are 70 million blogs; and there are 120,000 blogs created a day or 1.4 every second.(Turban, King, and Lang 2008)
•  17 posts are made to a blog per second (Turban, King, and Lang 2008)
• 12% of all customers in the US use RSS (Turban, King, and Lang 2008)
• 12 million Households will regularly subscribe to podcasts by 2010 (Turban, King, and Lang 2008)

The Main difference between Web 1.0 is the greater collaboration among users and other users, content providers and enterprises. Web 1.0 was organised around pages, software, technology &corporations. Web 2.0 is organised around ordinary people and services.

Here is a link to a YouTube video talking about the evolution from Web1.0 to Web 2.0 to Web 3.0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8&feature=related 

Reference:

Turban, E., King, D. and Lang, J. 2008. Introduction to Electronic Commerce 2E (International Edition) Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

 3. What is Web 3.0?

Web 3.0 is a term that has been coined to describe the evolution of the web usage and interaction among several separate paths including:

• transformation of the web into a database
• a move towards making content accessible by multiple non browser applications
• the leverage of artificial intelligence technologies 
• the semantic web (which is an extension of the world wide web where web content can be expressed in both natural language and in a special software format allowing software agents to find, share and integrate information more easily.)

Many agree that it encompasses one or more of the following:

• transforming the web into a database
• a path to artificial intelligence
• the realisation of semantic web andservice oriented architecture
• the evolution towards 3D.

4. What is eBusiness, how does it differ from eCommerce?

 e-Business is the conducting of business on the internet, including buying and selling, serving customers and collaborating with business partners. The difference with e-commerce and e-business is that e-business also refers to online exchanges of information; such as a business using online banking, ordering online, or monitoring production schedules online. Whereas e-commerce is the buying and selling of goods over the internet (business transactions only).

5. What is pure and partial eCommerce? 

Partial EC or Click-and-mortar organizations are those that conduct some e-commerce activities, yet their business is primarily done in the physical world. EG: Fresh Direct.  A company may sell online and also have physical store fronts.Whereas Pure e-commerce or Virtual organizations are companies that are engaged only in EC with no physical store. And Brick-and-mortar organizations are purely physical organizations.

6. List and describe the various eBusiness models? 

B2B- is where businesses buy and sell to each other over the internet. Online access to data including expected shipping date, delivery date and shipping status widely support this model. Electronic marketplaces are an example of this.

B2C- This is where a business sells its goods and services online. An e-shop is an example of this e-business model.

C2B- This is where a consumer sells a good or service to a business over the internet EG: Amazon.com

C2C- This is where sites offering goods and services which assists consumers interacting with one another over the internet. Ebay is an example of this.

To learn more see this PDF 'E Management for Your Business':
 http://www.apms.com.au/papers/allan2000-ukcmg.pdf

7. List and describe the major B2B models?

a.      Sell Side- This describes a web-based marketplace in which one company sells to many business buyers from e-catalogs or auctions, frequently over an extranet. They can do this by selling from electronic catalogs; selling via forward auctions; or one-to-one selling (negotiating a contract). (1 seller/ many buyers)

b.      Buy Side or E-procurement- This describes a corporate-based acquisition site that uses reverse auctions, negotiations, group purchasing, or any other e-procurement method. This is where a company wants to buy goods or services. A Group of buyers open an e market place can invite buyers to bid on services / goods using a Request For Quote/Bid methodology. (1 buyer/ many sellers)

c.       Electronic Exchange- This is where is a marketplace with many buyers and many sellers.

d.      Collaborative Commerce- This involves activities other than buying/selling among business partners- for example- SC improvements, communicating, collaborating, sharing info for joint design, planning, learning. (involving the Government, sellers, buyers, Universities, etc).

8. Outline 2 opportunities and 2 challenges faced by companies doing business online?

Opportunities:

• High Accessibility- there is a possibility that businesses can now operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year; allowing for more revenue and ease of access for customers.

• Improved information content- consumers no longer have to order catalogs or physically travel to the physical store before they can compare qualities and prices. Electronic catalog and web pages allow consumers to see real time information about goods, services, and prices.

Challenges:

• Protecting consumers- consumers must be protected against unsolicited goods and communication, illegal/harmful goods, insufficient information about suppliers and goods, invasion of privacy and cyber fraud.

• Leveraging existing systems- it is important that e-business systems integrate with existing systems in a way that avoids duplicating functionality and maintains usability, performance and reliability.

To learn more about e-commerce and e-business. These sites are very useful and informative:

http://www.aim.com.au/DisplayStory.asp?ID=687

http://nett.com.au/technology/ecommerce/embracing-e-business/11427.html

http://nett.com.au/marketing/quick-fix/fewer-choices-bigger-profits/11461.html