Enabling Technologies for Electronic Commerce

Electronic Commerce (EC) has been an important application of information and communication technology since several years. But, it has been the emergence of the world-wide available Internet and its several services which makes EC the real killer application of our days [Pyle96]. In its most general definition, EC comprises all selling and buying activities on the Internet. According to a study of the International Data Corporation $ 8 billion worth of business was transacted on the Internet in 1997, and that figure will grow to $ 333 billion by 2002 [IDC98]. EC appears in various forms ranging from commercial transactions between businesses via the retail sale of tangible goods, to digital delivery of goods and services. Businesses in virtually every sector of economy are beginning to use the Internet to cut the cost of purchasing, manage supplier relationships, streamline logistics and inventory, plan production, and reach new and existing customers more effectively [Adam98].