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Business Travel
Helping you find air travel, hotel accommodations travel agencies and more
Booking business travel is a process fraught with rapid change and pitfalls for the unwary. Business owners often look to the Web for convenient ways to compare options and book quickly at the best rates. But there are many categories to consider – including air travel, ground transportation, limousines and shuttles, train travel and others – so you'll want solutions geared to business in general and your business in particular.
"Some of the business travel solutions you'll find here include extended stay and corporate housing, train travel and charter buses for your business."Need travel arrangements fast, on a budget? The Business Travel Channel can help you:
Find places to quickly book your own travel 24/7, or professional travel agencies who will do it for you. Many business owners are discovering that it's more efficient to use a travel professional. A good business travel agency can search for low fares and offer travel concierge services.
Navigate the maze of business travel choices, whether you need bus transportation, rental cars or frequent flyer program details.
Control your costs with travel expense management software, credit cards, online services and other tools you need to track your money and keep costs in line. Bottom line: Targeted business travel resources, contacts and solutions can help you save money and get more out of your business travel dollars.
Business Travel Topics
Air TravelBus TransportationCharter BusesCommercial AirlinesConcierge ServicesExtended StayGround TransportationHotel FurnitureHotelsLimousines and ShuttlesTrain TravelTravel Expense ManagementTravel Insurance
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Understanding E-Commerce
Introduction To E-Commerce
Commerce has a long tradition of profiting from innovative systems and tools. As technologies emerge, successful businesses are quick to identify developing opportunities and expand their commercial capabilities. Conducting commerce electronically is no different. For many businesses, new technologies that digitally exchange text and monetary information are effective tools to serve traditional business goals of streamlining services, developing new markets, and creating innovative business opportunities. In addition, they offer the potential to develop types of services that are so innovative and distinct from tradition that they define a new type of commerce. Appropriately named, electronic commerce (E-Commerce) is the synthesis of traditional business practices with computer, information and communication technologies.
Miva Merchant E-Commerce Solutions for Small Business Websites
ALL websites are designed from scratch with an emphasis on search engine optimization to obtain top organic Google Page Rank listings.
Click Here for E-Commerce Store Packages
E-Commerce is not an entirely new type of commerce. It first emerged in the 1960's on private networks, as typically large organizations developed electronic data interchange (EDI) installations and banks implemented electronic funds transfer (EFT). Today, however, E-Commerce is no longer the exclusive domain of large organizations or private networks. The open network Internet and particularly the World Wide Web not only present new commercial potential for large organizations, but also provide a viable entry point for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into E-Commerce opportunities.
Even though E-Commerce has existed for over thirty years, it has just recently sustained significant growth. In the past 5 years the Internet has transformed from an auxiliary communication medium for academics and large organizations into an entrenched communication medium that spans across nearly all parts of mainstream society. E-Commerce growth is tied directly to these socio-technological changes. The more entrenched the medium becomes, the more users are drawn to it. An increase in users increases markets. As markets expand, more businesses are attracted, which in turn drives the development of better, more stable and secure technology to facilitate E-Commerce. A stable, secure environment for exchanging mission-critical and monetary information only draws more businesses and consumers to the Internet and ensures the growth pattern continues. All these related factors contribute to a burgeoning E-Commerce marketplace that should continue to grow well into the new millennium.
Only now is it becoming apparent how large the potential for E-Commerce will be in the next few years. With E-Commerce prospects continuing to improve, most large corporations have already developed preliminary E-Commerce strategies. Although many SMEs are not following this trend of large corporations, others have found that a modest investment in a simple Web site can develop into a commitment to E-Commerce as a major component of the business plan. At this stage of development, E-Commerce is not an essential operation for every type of SME, but in the near future it may become standard for many.
Definition
There does not exist a simple definition of E-Commerce that adequately describes the coverage of its operations, functions and underlying technologies. One common view is:
E-Commerce is online shopping via the Internet.
Although this is correct, online shopping is only one of many types of E-Commerce activities. In broader terms:
E-Commerce is any commercial activity conducted electronically, particularly via private or open networks, such as the Internet.
The key point of this definition is that E-Commerce is a confluence of business operations with electronic and network technologies. Telephony and non-networked technologies such as CD-ROM media may integrate into operations, but the core of E-Commerce is network technologies and especially open networks such as the Internet.
E-Commerce Business Operations
By virtue of its similarities, the scope of operations for E-Commerce is nearly as broad as traditional commerce. E-Commerce includes both traditional activities (e.g. providing product information) and new activities (e.g. conducting online retail in virtual malls, publishing digital information). Some of the common operations that define E-Commerce are specific business-to-business and business-to-customer interactions, such as:
Information exchange
Goods or services trading
Sales promotion and advertising
Online digital content delivery
Electronic funds transfers and transaction processing
Electronic share trading
Electronic bills of lading processing
Collaborative work interaction
Manufacturing management
Accounts settlement
Online sourcing
Public procurement
Direct consumer marketing
Inventory management
Post-sales service
Commercial auctions.
Although every E-Commerce implementation will differ, most SMEs focus operations on:
Product promotion via online catalogues
Transaction processing (exchanging digitized monetary information)
Customer Support.
E-Commerce conducted over the Internet differs from typical commercial activity in that it is influenced by the unique characteristics of the medium itself. In contrast to print media, E-Commerce is dynamic, allowing users to interact with the commercial site, send comments, and even define the scope of a document. Unlike person-to-person commerce, E-Commerce allows for a controlled interaction between vendorand potential purchaser, where the vendor may strategically direct the customer through a series of options and processes. E-Commerce also differs from traditional commerce by its boundless relation to time and space. Interaction is not restricted to normal working hours or geopolitical borders. There is potential to conduct business with other merchants and consumers around the world in different time zones, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Benefits
In the short-term, entry into E-Commerce may offer a competitive advantage over slower to act competitors. The market for E-Commerce is growing, as more consumers and businesses gain Internet access and transaction processing technologies improve security. Companies that establish an operation today, still in the early stages of Internet based E-Commerce, will have a fuller understanding of the issues and be better prepared to capitalize on emerging technologies when E-Commerce markets open up in the next few years.
The benefits of E-Commerce to a small business may include capabilities to:
Extend the range of sales territory
Streamline communication to suppliers and clients
Expand reach to new clients
Improve service to existing clients
Reduce paperwork and time spent on correspondence
Track customer satisfaction
Expedite billing
Improve collaboration on work projects
Expand markets beyond geographical, national boundaries
Leverage legacy data
Improve inventory control, order processing
Establish position in emerging E-Commerce marketplace
Lower costs of overhead
Realize economies of scale by increasing sales volume to new markets
Monitor competition and industry trends
Improve or expand product lines - locate new suppliers, products that could be included in catalogue.
Management of expectations
How does it integrate with traditional services?
As E-Commerce matures and more traditional businesses enter the electronic marketplace, it will become difficult to distinguish the E-Commerce merchant from traditional merchant. Although some firms operate exclusively as E-Commerce merchants, it appears that the greatest opportunities are for established firms that venture into E-Commerce as a means to refine existing business processes and gain new customers.
E-Commerce may complement or replace traditional commercial activities, depending upon the industry and the functions. Because it is both a threat and an opportunity for various industries, it is worthwhile to:
Study how E-Commerce can integrate into operations. Determine needs and capabilities. E-Commerce operations may shadow traditional operations to provide redundant services such as product information distribution.
Develop an E-Commerce strategy into the business and marketing plans. Understanding how an E-Commerce system will strategically fit with the firm's existing operations will help to allocate the management and financial resources necessary for it to be a success. In the long-run, there have to be resources to set-up and sustain a system, making it work best for the type of operation that will be managed.
Monitor competitors, suppliers, and customers' movements into E-Commerce. Special attention to their capabilities will help determine areas of E-Commerce that need development.
Establish a consistent operations review process. E-Commerce technology and operations are constantly evolving. Changes in technology frequently introduce opportunities to refine or create new services.
Barriers to Business and Consumer Target Markets
Business-to-business E-Commerce presently represents the bulk of commercial volume over the Internet, although business-to-consumer traffic is growing and has the potential to become an even larger market. The primary reason why business-to-consumer E-Commerce has not kept pace is that the Internet is still not as established in the home as it is in the office. Many businesses have invested in Internet access technologies, are online and ready to expand their commercial capabilities into this emerging marketplace. Consumers should come online as the costs of Internet access decrease, data throughput increases and Internet connectivity becomes as simple to initiate and commonplace in the home as television and telephones.
Low confidence in security technologies has also restricted growth of E-Commerce activity. Business-to-consumer E-Commerce in particular has suffered from poor consumer confidence in secure monetary and personal data transactions. Business confidence in secure transactions is higher and continues to increase as electronic payment and encryption technologies are widely employed. It is important to note that this issue is strictly about confidence. Secure technology exists today. This indicates that business is either more informed or willing to take risks than consumers are. In either case, business-to-business E-Commerce is vibrant and demonstrates a confidence in the supportive technologies that should continue to transfer to consumers.
A third barrier to growth is the concern of legal issues, mostly the uncertainty of litigious boundaries. Since the Internet crosses political boundaries, legal jurisdiction is in question. Although the Internet improves access to foreign markets, national export/import laws still apply to all E-Commerce transactions.
Implementation
An E-Commerce operation is an integration of Internet technologies, systems, applications and practices. It may use any technology, such as e-mail clients, mailing lists, newsgroups, videoconferencing, IRC chat, web servers, web channels, telephony, CD-ROM media, and Internet fax, etc. It may use any information system, such as web sites, intranets, extranets, groupware, and document management systems. It may incorporate any Internet application or practice, such as communication, research, publishing, and marketing. There is no standard configuration to build an E-Commerce operation. Each one is unique and designed specifically for each business.
The configuration of an E-Commerce operation is determined by two dynamic factors:
The company's business goals
The capabilities of the supportive technology
Whereas business goals are relatively stable, E-Commerce technology is continually evolving. For this reason business goals should drive the design of the E-Commerce operation. Like traditional commerce, successful E-Commerce operations are fluid and adaptable to technological change. E-Commerce operations will modify and define new applications as the technology advances, but successful E-Commerce operations harness only the functionality of technology that support specific business needs or help achieve predetermined goals. It is ill-advised to design business services and goals strictly around the capabilities of the technology because it may:
Confound the purpose of the business
Distract the business from its primary goals
Lead the business from a position of strength, effectively executing the business it knows, to one of weakness, pioneering new services which may require an extended learning curve to understand and operate efficiently.
For this reason, an important guideline for designing an E-Commerce operation is:
The technology should support the services. Select tools and technologies that serve business goals. Do not define services according to the features and functionality of the technologies.
Choosing the tools, planning the environment
Since there is no standard model or configuration of technologies upon which to build an E-Commerce operation, the underlying configuration of technologies will differ for each business. Perhaps the most important consideration for selecting tools is that for most operations there are many technologies to choose from that provide overlapping functionality. The challenge is to select the correct technologies that address the purpose of the operation, needs of the audience, and cost to implement. The best way to design an E-Commerce model is to define goals and target audiences then select tools to support each function.
For example,
The goal is to provide clients continuous updated information regarding product upgrades, known defects, recalls and warranty data. The current practice is to notify clients by postal mail.
The target audience is mostly small business operations. Most have dialup access with average speed modems and use the Internet sparingly for e-mail. Some have fax machines.
The solution is to choose technologies that push information to the target audience and support their limited technological capabilities.
A web site is an excellent way to publish information but it requires the user to initiate contact or pull the information from the site. Sophisticated channel technology can be used on the web site to push information to clients and still maintain the improved graphical user interface and multimedia composition of web pages. This corrects the push problem but it does not address the target audience's technological capabilities. To run effectively, channels typically require high-bandwidth connections. They also will not run on older web browsers. The target audience does not have fast connections or channel-capable browsers. Consequently, the best technologies that support the business goals yet address the target audience's needs are e-mail and/or Internet fax.
The technological configuration is a combination of e-mail, Internet fax service and WWW technologies. Through e-mail there are two ways to notify the audience: via a standard e-mail application that sends to a mailing group of e-mail addresses; or a mailing list package that publishes the message to the list of subscribers. For the standard e-mail application e-mail, addresses are collected at the point of sale electronically, by telephone, postal mail, or retroactively on the web site using online form registration. For the mailing list, users must subscribe to the group in order to receive e-mail. As an additional delivery means, those who request can receive notification through an Internet fax service. The web site is used to integrate the other technologies. It is used to collect e-mail addresses for the group mailing, register subscribers for the mailing list, request fax service and provide more detailed, graphical presentations of the notifications in HTML format.
This example illustrates how a typical E-Commerce operation integrates several technologies to perform specific, complementary functions. At the center is the web site, functioning as the forum to meet clients, collect client data, and serve product information. On the periphery are technologies such as e-mail and fax to deliver focused services. Between the parts there is overlap of services. This demonstrates that successful E-Commerce operations provide multiple mechanisms to deliver services and reach target markets. This example also suggests how the technological configuration may change as the target audience's technological capabilities expand. It shows how for this audience push technology is not yet appropriate. In the future, as the technology matures and bandwidth improves, the E-Commerce operation may integrate a push channel version into its notification system.
If you found the e-commerce explanation and definition useful, please support us by clicking on one of the Google Ads below:
CONTACT WEB DESIGNER
407-973-0631
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E-Commerce Website
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WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
Need better search engine ranking? You found us, so let us help you!
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Copyright 2001-2007 Orlando WEB Development ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
e-Commerce Solutions
Search Engine Optimization
Logo Design & Web Graphics
Expand All Collapse All
WEB DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Company Profile
Webmaster Credentials
Design Portfolio
WEBSITE DESIGN PRICING
Business Card Extension
Pricing
Get a Price Quote!
e-COMMERCE WEBSITES
Miva Merchant Info
Shopping Cart Features
Packages & Pricing
Get a Price Quote!
Merchant Accounts
PayPal Shopping Cart
DATABASE WEBSITES
Small Relational Database
Portal Design
HOSTING PACKAGES
Basic Economy
Miva Hosting Packages
Secure Bunker Hosting
GRAPHIC SERVICES
Logo Design
4 Print
Photography
Photo Restoration
WEBSITE MARKETING
Search Engine Optimization
Pay Per Click
Search Engine Submission
Free Website Analysis
PLANNING WORKSHEETS
General Website Planning
Store Planning Worksheet
DESIGN AGREEMENT
CONTACT / SUPPORT
Understanding E-Commerce
Introduction To E-Commerce
Commerce has a long tradition of profiting from innovative systems and tools. As technologies emerge, successful businesses are quick to identify developing opportunities and expand their commercial capabilities. Conducting commerce electronically is no different. For many businesses, new technologies that digitally exchange text and monetary information are effective tools to serve traditional business goals of streamlining services, developing new markets, and creating innovative business opportunities. In addition, they offer the potential to develop types of services that are so innovative and distinct from tradition that they define a new type of commerce. Appropriately named, electronic commerce (E-Commerce) is the synthesis of traditional business practices with computer, information and communication technologies.
Miva Merchant E-Commerce Solutions for Small Business Websites
ALL websites are designed from scratch with an emphasis on search engine optimization to obtain top organic Google Page Rank listings.
Click Here for E-Commerce Store Packages
E-Commerce is not an entirely new type of commerce. It first emerged in the 1960's on private networks, as typically large organizations developed electronic data interchange (EDI) installations and banks implemented electronic funds transfer (EFT). Today, however, E-Commerce is no longer the exclusive domain of large organizations or private networks. The open network Internet and particularly the World Wide Web not only present new commercial potential for large organizations, but also provide a viable entry point for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into E-Commerce opportunities.
Even though E-Commerce has existed for over thirty years, it has just recently sustained significant growth. In the past 5 years the Internet has transformed from an auxiliary communication medium for academics and large organizations into an entrenched communication medium that spans across nearly all parts of mainstream society. E-Commerce growth is tied directly to these socio-technological changes. The more entrenched the medium becomes, the more users are drawn to it. An increase in users increases markets. As markets expand, more businesses are attracted, which in turn drives the development of better, more stable and secure technology to facilitate E-Commerce. A stable, secure environment for exchanging mission-critical and monetary information only draws more businesses and consumers to the Internet and ensures the growth pattern continues. All these related factors contribute to a burgeoning E-Commerce marketplace that should continue to grow well into the new millennium.
Only now is it becoming apparent how large the potential for E-Commerce will be in the next few years. With E-Commerce prospects continuing to improve, most large corporations have already developed preliminary E-Commerce strategies. Although many SMEs are not following this trend of large corporations, others have found that a modest investment in a simple Web site can develop into a commitment to E-Commerce as a major component of the business plan. At this stage of development, E-Commerce is not an essential operation for every type of SME, but in the near future it may become standard for many.
Definition
There does not exist a simple definition of E-Commerce that adequately describes the coverage of its operations, functions and underlying technologies. One common view is:
E-Commerce is online shopping via the Internet.
Although this is correct, online shopping is only one of many types of E-Commerce activities. In broader terms:
E-Commerce is any commercial activity conducted electronically, particularly via private or open networks, such as the Internet.
The key point of this definition is that E-Commerce is a confluence of business operations with electronic and network technologies. Telephony and non-networked technologies such as CD-ROM media may integrate into operations, but the core of E-Commerce is network technologies and especially open networks such as the Internet.
E-Commerce Business Operations
By virtue of its similarities, the scope of operations for E-Commerce is nearly as broad as traditional commerce. E-Commerce includes both traditional activities (e.g. providing product information) and new activities (e.g. conducting online retail in virtual malls, publishing digital information). Some of the common operations that define E-Commerce are specific business-to-business and business-to-customer interactions, such as:
Information exchange
Goods or services trading
Sales promotion and advertising
Online digital content delivery
Electronic funds transfers and transaction processing
Electronic share trading
Electronic bills of lading processing
Collaborative work interaction
Manufacturing management
Accounts settlement
Online sourcing
Public procurement
Direct consumer marketing
Inventory management
Post-sales service
Commercial auctions.
Although every E-Commerce implementation will differ, most SMEs focus operations on:
Product promotion via online catalogues
Transaction processing (exchanging digitized monetary information)
Customer Support.
E-Commerce conducted over the Internet differs from typical commercial activity in that it is influenced by the unique characteristics of the medium itself. In contrast to print media, E-Commerce is dynamic, allowing users to interact with the commercial site, send comments, and even define the scope of a document. Unlike person-to-person commerce, E-Commerce allows for a controlled interaction between vendorand potential purchaser, where the vendor may strategically direct the customer through a series of options and processes. E-Commerce also differs from traditional commerce by its boundless relation to time and space. Interaction is not restricted to normal working hours or geopolitical borders. There is potential to conduct business with other merchants and consumers around the world in different time zones, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Benefits
In the short-term, entry into E-Commerce may offer a competitive advantage over slower to act competitors. The market for E-Commerce is growing, as more consumers and businesses gain Internet access and transaction processing technologies improve security. Companies that establish an operation today, still in the early stages of Internet based E-Commerce, will have a fuller understanding of the issues and be better prepared to capitalize on emerging technologies when E-Commerce markets open up in the next few years.
The benefits of E-Commerce to a small business may include capabilities to:
Extend the range of sales territory
Streamline communication to suppliers and clients
Expand reach to new clients
Improve service to existing clients
Reduce paperwork and time spent on correspondence
Track customer satisfaction
Expedite billing
Improve collaboration on work projects
Expand markets beyond geographical, national boundaries
Leverage legacy data
Improve inventory control, order processing
Establish position in emerging E-Commerce marketplace
Lower costs of overhead
Realize economies of scale by increasing sales volume to new markets
Monitor competition and industry trends
Improve or expand product lines - locate new suppliers, products that could be included in catalogue.
Management of expectations
How does it integrate with traditional services?
As E-Commerce matures and more traditional businesses enter the electronic marketplace, it will become difficult to distinguish the E-Commerce merchant from traditional merchant. Although some firms operate exclusively as E-Commerce merchants, it appears that the greatest opportunities are for established firms that venture into E-Commerce as a means to refine existing business processes and gain new customers.
E-Commerce may complement or replace traditional commercial activities, depending upon the industry and the functions. Because it is both a threat and an opportunity for various industries, it is worthwhile to:
Study how E-Commerce can integrate into operations. Determine needs and capabilities. E-Commerce operations may shadow traditional operations to provide redundant services such as product information distribution.
Develop an E-Commerce strategy into the business and marketing plans. Understanding how an E-Commerce system will strategically fit with the firm's existing operations will help to allocate the management and financial resources necessary for it to be a success. In the long-run, there have to be resources to set-up and sustain a system, making it work best for the type of operation that will be managed.
Monitor competitors, suppliers, and customers' movements into E-Commerce. Special attention to their capabilities will help determine areas of E-Commerce that need development.
Establish a consistent operations review process. E-Commerce technology and operations are constantly evolving. Changes in technology frequently introduce opportunities to refine or create new services.
Barriers to Business and Consumer Target Markets
Business-to-business E-Commerce presently represents the bulk of commercial volume over the Internet, although business-to-consumer traffic is growing and has the potential to become an even larger market. The primary reason why business-to-consumer E-Commerce has not kept pace is that the Internet is still not as established in the home as it is in the office. Many businesses have invested in Internet access technologies, are online and ready to expand their commercial capabilities into this emerging marketplace. Consumers should come online as the costs of Internet access decrease, data throughput increases and Internet connectivity becomes as simple to initiate and commonplace in the home as television and telephones.
Low confidence in security technologies has also restricted growth of E-Commerce activity. Business-to-consumer E-Commerce in particular has suffered from poor consumer confidence in secure monetary and personal data transactions. Business confidence in secure transactions is higher and continues to increase as electronic payment and encryption technologies are widely employed. It is important to note that this issue is strictly about confidence. Secure technology exists today. This indicates that business is either more informed or willing to take risks than consumers are. In either case, business-to-business E-Commerce is vibrant and demonstrates a confidence in the supportive technologies that should continue to transfer to consumers.
A third barrier to growth is the concern of legal issues, mostly the uncertainty of litigious boundaries. Since the Internet crosses political boundaries, legal jurisdiction is in question. Although the Internet improves access to foreign markets, national export/import laws still apply to all E-Commerce transactions.
Implementation
An E-Commerce operation is an integration of Internet technologies, systems, applications and practices. It may use any technology, such as e-mail clients, mailing lists, newsgroups, videoconferencing, IRC chat, web servers, web channels, telephony, CD-ROM media, and Internet fax, etc. It may use any information system, such as web sites, intranets, extranets, groupware, and document management systems. It may incorporate any Internet application or practice, such as communication, research, publishing, and marketing. There is no standard configuration to build an E-Commerce operation. Each one is unique and designed specifically for each business.
The configuration of an E-Commerce operation is determined by two dynamic factors:
The company's business goals
The capabilities of the supportive technology
Whereas business goals are relatively stable, E-Commerce technology is continually evolving. For this reason business goals should drive the design of the E-Commerce operation. Like traditional commerce, successful E-Commerce operations are fluid and adaptable to technological change. E-Commerce operations will modify and define new applications as the technology advances, but successful E-Commerce operations harness only the functionality of technology that support specific business needs or help achieve predetermined goals. It is ill-advised to design business services and goals strictly around the capabilities of the technology because it may:
Confound the purpose of the business
Distract the business from its primary goals
Lead the business from a position of strength, effectively executing the business it knows, to one of weakness, pioneering new services which may require an extended learning curve to understand and operate efficiently.
For this reason, an important guideline for designing an E-Commerce operation is:
The technology should support the services. Select tools and technologies that serve business goals. Do not define services according to the features and functionality of the technologies.
Choosing the tools, planning the environment
Since there is no standard model or configuration of technologies upon which to build an E-Commerce operation, the underlying configuration of technologies will differ for each business. Perhaps the most important consideration for selecting tools is that for most operations there are many technologies to choose from that provide overlapping functionality. The challenge is to select the correct technologies that address the purpose of the operation, needs of the audience, and cost to implement. The best way to design an E-Commerce model is to define goals and target audiences then select tools to support each function.
For example,
The goal is to provide clients continuous updated information regarding product upgrades, known defects, recalls and warranty data. The current practice is to notify clients by postal mail.
The target audience is mostly small business operations. Most have dialup access with average speed modems and use the Internet sparingly for e-mail. Some have fax machines.
The solution is to choose technologies that push information to the target audience and support their limited technological capabilities.
A web site is an excellent way to publish information but it requires the user to initiate contact or pull the information from the site. Sophisticated channel technology can be used on the web site to push information to clients and still maintain the improved graphical user interface and multimedia composition of web pages. This corrects the push problem but it does not address the target audience's technological capabilities. To run effectively, channels typically require high-bandwidth connections. They also will not run on older web browsers. The target audience does not have fast connections or channel-capable browsers. Consequently, the best technologies that support the business goals yet address the target audience's needs are e-mail and/or Internet fax.
The technological configuration is a combination of e-mail, Internet fax service and WWW technologies. Through e-mail there are two ways to notify the audience: via a standard e-mail application that sends to a mailing group of e-mail addresses; or a mailing list package that publishes the message to the list of subscribers. For the standard e-mail application e-mail, addresses are collected at the point of sale electronically, by telephone, postal mail, or retroactively on the web site using online form registration. For the mailing list, users must subscribe to the group in order to receive e-mail. As an additional delivery means, those who request can receive notification through an Internet fax service. The web site is used to integrate the other technologies. It is used to collect e-mail addresses for the group mailing, register subscribers for the mailing list, request fax service and provide more detailed, graphical presentations of the notifications in HTML format.
This example illustrates how a typical E-Commerce operation integrates several technologies to perform specific, complementary functions. At the center is the web site, functioning as the forum to meet clients, collect client data, and serve product information. On the periphery are technologies such as e-mail and fax to deliver focused services. Between the parts there is overlap of services. This demonstrates that successful E-Commerce operations provide multiple mechanisms to deliver services and reach target markets. This example also suggests how the technological configuration may change as the target audience's technological capabilities expand. It shows how for this audience push technology is not yet appropriate. In the future, as the technology matures and bandwidth improves, the E-Commerce operation may integrate a push channel version into its notification system.
If you found the e-commerce explanation and definition useful, please support us by clicking on one of the Google Ads below:
CONTACT WEB DESIGNER
407-973-0631
Why ChooseOrlando WEB Development?
Webmaster Credentials
WEB DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Miva e-Commerce Solution
E-commerce Website
E-Commerce Website
Visit Our Portfolio!
Your Satisfaction 100% of the time!
Support Our Freedom!
WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
Need better search engine ranking? You found us, so let us help you!
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E-Commerce23
Define e-commerce!
e-commerce: Conducting business online. Selling goods, in the traditional sense, is possible to do electronically because of certain software programs that run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, including product display, online ordering, and inventory management. The software resides on a commerce server and works in conjunction with online payment systems to process payments. Since these servers and data lines make up the backbone of the Internet, in a broad sense, e-commerce means doing business over interconnected networks.
The definition of e-commerce includes business activities that are business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), extended enterprise computing (also known as "newly emerging value chains"), d-commerce, and m-commerce. E-commerce is a major factor in the U.S. economy because it assists companies with many levels of current business transactions, as well as creating new online business opportunities that are global in nature. Here are a few examples of e-commerce:
accepting credit cards for commercial online sales
generating online advertising revenue
trading stock in an online brokerage account
driving information through a company via its intranet
driving manufacturing and distribution through a value chain with partners on an extranet
selling to consumers on a pay-per-download basis, through a Web site
(see www.netlingo.com)
Shopping Cart:Software used to make a site's product catalogue available for online ordering, whereby visitors may select, view, add/delete, and purchase merchandise.
(see www.netlingo.com)
Payment Gateway (or Gateway):an application that is resident on a merchant's server (or a server located at the merchant's isp or csp) that accepts payment information, encrypts it and routes it across the internet to a [payment services provider].
(see www.netlingo.com)
Some Fine Points in the Visa/MC RegulationsVisa/MasterCard has published their definition of an electronic commerce transaction to include "...a transaction conducted over the Internet or other network using a cardholder access device, such as a personal computer or terminal,"
When a cardholder enters credit card information into a form or shopping cart at a merchant's website, this is an electronic transaction. The cardholder initiated the transaction by entering card data and transmitting it to the merchant over the Internet.
If the cardholder sends an order request and the credit card information to the merchant in an eMail, this too, is considered an electronic commerce transaction, as the cardholder initiated the transaction by entering card data and transmitting it to the merchant over an electronic network.
If a cardholder visits a merchant's website for product information, and does not transmit an order over the Internet, but instead sends the order to the merchant by fax [or telephone or mail] this is considered a mail/telephone transaction because the cardholder did not use a PC or transmit the information over the Internet.
An electronic commerce merchant receives an order via phone or fax. The merchant enters the transaction information into its system to obtain authorization and to process the transaction. This is a mail/telephone order transaction. The cardholder initiated the transaction via phone or fax.
dichotomy:Pronunciation: dI-'kä-t&-mE also d&-Function: nounInflected Form(s): plural -miesEtymology: Greek dichotomia, from dichotomosDate: 16101 : a division or the process of dividing into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities
(Merriam-Webster dictionary on-line)
The Rules of the Road:
Since transactions usually contain confidential information, they can not be "read" by non-participants in the transaction. Hence they must be transmitted using some secure form of encryption
Since transactions usually contain information that is of a critical nature to the parties to the transaction, they must be precise. Hence, when decrypted into clear text form, they must strictly conform to some form of "document type definition."
Back
e-commerce: Conducting business online. Selling goods, in the traditional sense, is possible to do electronically because of certain software programs that run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, including product display, online ordering, and inventory management. The software resides on a commerce server and works in conjunction with online payment systems to process payments. Since these servers and data lines make up the backbone of the Internet, in a broad sense, e-commerce means doing business over interconnected networks.
The definition of e-commerce includes business activities that are business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), extended enterprise computing (also known as "newly emerging value chains"), d-commerce, and m-commerce. E-commerce is a major factor in the U.S. economy because it assists companies with many levels of current business transactions, as well as creating new online business opportunities that are global in nature. Here are a few examples of e-commerce:
accepting credit cards for commercial online sales
generating online advertising revenue
trading stock in an online brokerage account
driving information through a company via its intranet
driving manufacturing and distribution through a value chain with partners on an extranet
selling to consumers on a pay-per-download basis, through a Web site
(see www.netlingo.com)
Shopping Cart:Software used to make a site's product catalogue available for online ordering, whereby visitors may select, view, add/delete, and purchase merchandise.
(see www.netlingo.com)
Payment Gateway (or Gateway):an application that is resident on a merchant's server (or a server located at the merchant's isp or csp) that accepts payment information, encrypts it and routes it across the internet to a [payment services provider].
(see www.netlingo.com)
Some Fine Points in the Visa/MC RegulationsVisa/MasterCard has published their definition of an electronic commerce transaction to include "...a transaction conducted over the Internet or other network using a cardholder access device, such as a personal computer or terminal,"
When a cardholder enters credit card information into a form or shopping cart at a merchant's website, this is an electronic transaction. The cardholder initiated the transaction by entering card data and transmitting it to the merchant over the Internet.
If the cardholder sends an order request and the credit card information to the merchant in an eMail, this too, is considered an electronic commerce transaction, as the cardholder initiated the transaction by entering card data and transmitting it to the merchant over an electronic network.
If a cardholder visits a merchant's website for product information, and does not transmit an order over the Internet, but instead sends the order to the merchant by fax [or telephone or mail] this is considered a mail/telephone transaction because the cardholder did not use a PC or transmit the information over the Internet.
An electronic commerce merchant receives an order via phone or fax. The merchant enters the transaction information into its system to obtain authorization and to process the transaction. This is a mail/telephone order transaction. The cardholder initiated the transaction via phone or fax.
dichotomy:Pronunciation: dI-'kä-t&-mE also d&-Function: nounInflected Form(s): plural -miesEtymology: Greek dichotomia, from dichotomosDate: 16101 : a division or the process of dividing into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities
(Merriam-Webster dictionary on-line)
The Rules of the Road:
Since transactions usually contain confidential information, they can not be "read" by non-participants in the transaction. Hence they must be transmitted using some secure form of encryption
Since transactions usually contain information that is of a critical nature to the parties to the transaction, they must be precise. Hence, when decrypted into clear text form, they must strictly conform to some form of "document type definition."
Back
E-Commerce
E-commerce
E-commerce (electronic-commerce) refers to business over the Internet. Web sites such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, and eBay are all e-commerce sites. The two major forms of e-commerce are Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B). While companies like Amazon.com cater mostly to consumers, other companies provide goods and services exclusively to other businesses. The terms "e-business" and "e-tailing" are often used synonymously with e-commerce. They refer to the same idea; they are just used to confuse people trying to learn computer terms.
DVR E-mailAll "E" Terms and DefinitionsBack to the Sharpened Computer Glossary
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E-commerce (electronic-commerce) refers to business over the Internet. Web sites such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, and eBay are all e-commerce sites. The two major forms of e-commerce are Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B). While companies like Amazon.com cater mostly to consumers, other companies provide goods and services exclusively to other businesses. The terms "e-business" and "e-tailing" are often used synonymously with e-commerce. They refer to the same idea; they are just used to confuse people trying to learn computer terms.
DVR E-mailAll "E" Terms and DefinitionsBack to the Sharpened Computer Glossary
Copyright © 1999-2008 Sharpened Productions. All Rights Reserved.
Home
Sharpened.net History
About Sharpened.net
Sharpened.net Home
Glossary
Emoticons
Chat Acronyms
Computer Terms
Help Center
Domain Suffixes
File Extensions
Computer Questions
Resources
Sharp Sites
Developer Resources
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Monday, March 10, 2008
Home > Nation > Top Stories
Battle for 'truth' on ZTE rages in newspaper ads; Assumption joins fray
03/05/2008 02:45 PM
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MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's former schoolmates at the Assumption College joined Wednesday the "cry for truth and accountability" from the government on various cases of graft under Arroyo's watch.The Assumption alumnae, by making their stand known in a full-page newspaper ad also stepped into a raging "newspaper ad war" involving pro- and anti-Arroyo groups in the process.At least six groups placed full-page ads in Metro Manila newspapers Wednesday, either joining the "call for truth," or declaring support for President Arroyo."We members of the Assumption Family to which the President belongs join the cry of our people for truth and accountability. We have been taught by our beloved Alma Mater to live the Assumption values of truth, integrity, love of God and country, and fidelity to duty. We are therefore compelled to break our silence," they said in their ad, signed by several alumnae and placed in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.They asked Mrs Arroyo to answer a list of "disturbing questions," including what the government finds so threatening about "simple but credible and courageous" ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.In their statement, they questioned the "intimidation, abduction and threats" to Lozada and his family, like the threats to other concerned citizens who dare speak out against government.Also, they questioned the disappearances of witnesses, whistleblowers and journalists who courageously speak the painful truth."Why does the administration hide behind the skirt of EO 464, preventing the Cabinet and high government officials from appearing when summoned by Congress? ... Why are the military and police forces being used to subvert the truth when their mandate is to protect all citizens?" they asked.The alumnae added the ZTE network deal is just one in a pattern of massive corruption and abuse of power that included the "Hello Garci" scam, the P728-million fertilizer scam, the overprice in the Macapagal Boulevard, the P1.3-billion election machines, and extrajudicial killings.They demanded the immediate cancellation of EO 464, and a halt to military and police activities such as illegal surveillance, wiretapping, cell phone bugging and other forms of intimidation.Also, they called for the timely release of pertinent documents and other evidence to the Senate and other appropriate investigating authorities to allow a thorough review of all government projects.Likewise, they sought immediate accountability of all government officials and parties who have participated, enabled or profited from graft and corruption starting with the ZTE NBN scandal."We can make a stand and proudly add our voiced to the millions of ordinary Filipinos who clamor for truth, accountability and reform. We ask the Assumption family to combine prayer with critical discernment and principled action," they said.Other adsBut the Assumption alumnae's ad was just one of several full-page ads placed in newspapers Wednesday.House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr led congressmen, governors, city mayors, town mayors, and even village officials in signing a statement of support for Arroyo.In their ad, they claimed "28 quarters of economic growth" should not be stopped, and those who want to effect change should "wait for the 2010 elections.""Let due process take its course with regard to their allegations ... Work with government to ensure that the Filipino masses reap the benefits of our country's economic turnaround," they said."Enough of dark politics! Let's keep the momentum going," they added.A third full-page ad placed by former senior government officials called on government to "serve the truth."The senior officials held a press conference Tuesday calling on Arroyo to undertake five concrete steps towards the truth in seven days."The president must do these or the people will make their judgment and act on the basis of their conviction," they said.A fourth group, the "Mahal Ko Bayan Ko Foundation," placed newspaper ads making an "appeal for sobriety" and calling for "truth not rage.""Let us unite to bring out the best in the Filipino. Let us renounce violence and rage. Let us seek the truth in peace, love and wisdom," it said.The Mahal Ko, Bayan Ko Foundation reportedly has one Evelyn Kilayko as its leader. Kilayko reportedly was behind a series of pro-Arroyo ads at the height of Arroyo's impeachment in 2005.At the time, the pro-Arroyo ads claimed "We prefer GMA to chaos," and were signed by "600 top women in civil society."The fifth group, the League of municipalities of the Philippines Mindanao Island cluster, placed a full-page ad in the Philippine Star declaring full support for Arroyo.A sixth group, the Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union, made a similar full-page ad declaring "labor sector support for the present administation."Signing it was Jose Suan, national president of the group and vice president of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.The group claims to have the "largest organized labor groups in Western Mindanao." - GMANews.TV
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» Mike Arroyo files falsification charges vs Jamby
» Senate invites 3 Cabinet men in ZTE deal probe; tests EO 464 revocation
» Ex-PNOC head denies he is Senate's new ZTE witness
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» Lozada bares new assassination plot against him2008-03-10 19:24:54
» Fr. Robert Reyes, others stage 'ASAR' run vs Arroyo2008-03-10 15:17:03
» Children serenade Neri, ask him to tell 'truth'2008-03-10 15:16:51
» Nograles is new Lakas president2008-03-10 15:16:38
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Public has right to know the truth, says Cardinal Vidal
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CEBU CITY, February 12, 2008—Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal
come to think with phantom.....
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IMDb > The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
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The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
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User Rating: 7.3/10 (30,784 votes)
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Photos (see all 55 photos)
Overview
Director:Joel Schumacher
Writers (WGA):Gaston Leroux (novel)Andrew Lloyd Webber (stage musical)more
Release Date:9 February 2005 (Philippines) more
Genre:Drama / Musical / Romance / Thriller more
Tagline:Her voice became his passion. Her love became his obsession. Her refusal became his rage..... more
Plot Outline:A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorizes the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protege whom he trains and loves. more
Plot Synopsis:View full synopsis. (warning! may contain spoilers)
Plot Keywords:Gothic / Invitations / Box Office Flop / Concert Interruption / Period Piece more
Awards:Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 26 nominations more
User Comments:Absolutely fantastic! more
Cast (Cast overview, first billed only)
Gerard Butler
...
The Phantom
Emmy Rossum
...
Christine
Patrick Wilson
...
Raoul
Miranda Richardson
...
Madame Giry
Minnie Driver
...
Carlotta
Ciarán Hinds
...
Firmin
Simon Callow
...
Andre
Victor McGuire
...
Piangi
Jennifer Ellison
...
Meg Giry
Murray Melvin
...
Reyer
Kevin McNally
...
Buquet (as Kevin R. McNally)
James Fleet
...
Lefevre
Imogen Bain
...
Carlotta's Maid
Miles Western
...
Carlotta's Wigmaker
Judith Paris
...
Carlotta's Seamstressmore
Create a character page for: FirminAndrePiangiReyerBuquetLefevreCarlotta's MaidCarlotta's WigmakerCarlotta's Seamstress-----------more...
Additional Details
Also Known As:Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (USA) (promotional title) more
MPAA:Rated PG-13 for brief violent images.
Parents Guide:View content advisory for parents
Runtime:143 min
Country:USA / UK
Language:English / French / Italian / Spanish
Color:Black and White / Color
Aspect Ratio:2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:DTS / Dolby Digital / SDDS
Certification:Hungary:14 / Netherlands:6 / Iceland:10 / Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) / Malaysia:U / Portugal:M/12 / Taiwan:PG-12 / Philippines:PG-13 / Argentina:13 / Australia:PG / Brazil:14 / Canada:PG (Ontario) / Chile:14 / Czech Republic:12 / Finland:K-11 / Germany:6 / Ireland:12 / Norway:11 / Singapore:PG / Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) / Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) / Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) / UK:12A (original rating) / UK:12 (video rating) (2005) / USA:PG-13 / Greece:K / South Korea:12
Filming Locations:London, England, UK more
MOVIEmeter: 12% since last week why?
Company:Odyssey Entertainment more
Fun Stuff
Trivia:Andrew Lloyd Webber only insisted that the actors do their own singing, after Joel Schumacher requested that the cast would be relatively young. more
Goofs:Continuity: Christine's hair is wild while running up the staris in "Why have you brought me here..." and then on the roof her hair is pulled back. more
Quotes:[first lines] Auctioneer: Sold. Your number, sir? Thank you. Lot 663, then, ladies and gentlemen.more
Movie Connections:Featured in The Making of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2005) (V) more
Soundtrack:Learn To Be Lonely more
FAQIs Phantom Meg Giry's father? What is the significance of the music box? Where can I see the stage production? more
User Comments (Comment on this title)
377 out of 493 people found the following comment useful:- Absolutely fantastic!, 14 December 2004
Author: emily_glenister from Emily Glenister
I dragged my long suffering boyfriend to see The Phantom of the Opera on Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Although I have never seen it on-stage, the film version - for me - was so enchanting that I now cannot wait to obtain tickets to it. The sets were absolutely beautiful. France is known for its beauty, and this adaption certainly paid homage to that. The theatre set itself was absolutely stunning; marble and velvet being the main materials within it. Emmy Rossum (Christine) was 17 when this was filmed and was absolutely outstanding. When she started to sing, my mouth literally dropped open. Minnie Driver (La Carlotta) was very funny in her Italian diva role. Her hand gestures added to the mannerisms of a typical diva. Her singing was overdone to add to the character (even though Ms. Driver did not do all the vocals herself). Patrick Wilson (Raoul), out of all of them, had the most captivating voice. Although Raoul seemed a bit wet and droopy, he was still gorgeous and made the GIRLS in the audience swoon. However, the star of the piece for me, was Gerard Butler (the Phantom). Although his vocal skills weren't entirely right for the part, he portrayed the Phantom as a lot of people see him; as a victim. I actually ended up warming to him, and when asked by my boyfriend who I would choose; Raoul or the Phantom, I said the Phantom. Something about the way Mr. Butler played him, was so sexy and he drew the WOMEN to him. Watching the Phantom and Raoul, certainly separated the boys from the men and the girls from the women. Another pleasant surprise is that Jennifer Ellison was actually rather good in her role as Meg, Christine's best friend. Miss Ellison has been trained in acting, singing and dancing and so was well equipped to the play the part, and carried it off very well. I wouldn't be surprised if more roles in Hollywood turned up for her. Overall, I rate this film a 5/5 and definitely recommend it. It sent shivers up my spine and gave me goosebumps. I urge those of you who haven't seen it, to become goosebump friendly by watching THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!
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