eBusiness & eCommerce

Abstract

Over a decade ago, the European Union adopted a “plan of action for a European information society.” Internet technologies should broaden the capacity to act of organizations and of individuals, promote transnational contact and exchange relationships, and lead to an open society with cultural originality and variety. To achieve this, the opportunities and risks of utilizing electronic means of communication must be weighed against each other, and privacy and intellectual property rights must be protected. Due to technological development and the use of Internet technology, the production of information has gained economic significance. An information company creates value primarily by designing, processing, and relaying information; in other words, through the exchange of digital products and services. This textbook progressively describes all of the elements of the value chain for electronic business and electronic commerce. A process-oriented approach is used to present the electronic business transactions that occur between companies, consumers, and public administration, and these are illustrated with case studies. Along with the organization of digital products and services, special attention is paid to marketing, distribution, and customer relationship care. This textbook is intended for students of economics at universities and technical colleges who would like an overview of the state of the art in electronic business and electronic commerce. It is also suitable for executives, project leaders, and company experts who deal with the digital value chain. The book focuses on the members of value chains in electronic business relationships. Each of these members has a chapter devoted to it: Chapter 1 describes the terms of electronic business, electronic commerce, and electronic government, and gives meaningful examples of their application. Chapter 2 presents the organization of electronic products and services using suitable forms of cooperation or business webs. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the strategic and operational procurement process performed using electronic means. Chapter 4 examines marketing for electronic markets and shows possible business relationships with online customers. Chapter 5 deals with coding procedures, digital signatures, and certification sites associated with the receipt of legal contract work. vi Foreword Chapter 6 describes the distribution of digital products and services as part of a comprehensive supply chain. Chapter 7 discusses different electronic currencies, including small-sum or picopayment accounting schemes. Chapter 8 illustrates computer-supported procedures like multichannel management for the acquisition, connection, and retention of customers, as well as the customer data warehouse. Chapter 9 describes basic characteristics of portable devices and network architecture, including mobile applications. Chapter 10 discusses opportunities for and risks to the individual and the company when market participants engage in electronic business independent of time and location. This textbook came into being as a result of Bachelor’s-level and Master’s-level courses run at the Technical College of Northwest Switzerland, at the University of Fribourg, and at the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City. Parts of it are used regularly in practicum courses. The eDVDShop electronic trade case study (http://www.edvdshop.ch) developed in each chapter of this textbook is based on experience with the electronic shop system eSarine (http://www. esarine.ch), which is marketed through the eTorrent Company (http://www. etorrent.com). At this point we would like to thank all of the students and colleagues who critically reviewed and added to our lecture documents and case studies. This textbook would not exist without the talents of Elizabeth Gosselin from Fairbanks, Alaska, who translated it from German to English. In addition, we would like to thank the publisher staff at Springer and SPi for the pleasant cooperation