Electronic Commerce: Implications of the Internet for Business Practice and Strategy

The Internet and the emerging global infostructure pose new opportunities and threats to businesses. This paper looks at the implications of these emerging low cost communications infrastructures on business practice and strategy. I examine how firms are using the Internet to improve innovation, production, sales, and service processes and I consider the effects of lower communications and coordination costs on business practices and strategies. Specifically, I propose that widespread use of the Internet and related technologies will dramatically reduce transaction costs, leading to a growth in electronic commerce and productivity. At the same time, the reduction in transactions and coordination costs will reduce the profit opportunities of inefficient firms, requiring them to re-focus their strategies. This paper identifies foci for strategic responses to the above challenges.