Topic 1: E-commerce, distributed applications and the Internet

Introduction


The aim of this subject is to provide guidance for you to address the architectures, models, methods, methodologies and technologies that can be used for all types of business application development. Many of the e-commerce models like B2B, B2C, C2C, E2C, E2B, and social networking require an underlying infrastructure including technologies such as:
• Broadband Communications and Networking

• Internet and mobile E-commerce via wireless data communications

• Client/server or MVC architecture of web framework systems

• Data interchange

• Access and cryptographic security

• Electronic payments, databases and multimedia

Some of the core e-business services that can then be provided by an organisation's e-systems architecture include:
• Online merchant account facilities

• Secure credit card processing and electronic payment systems

• Custom order processing to meet your organisation's specific needs

• Catalogue management

• Shopping cart facilities

• Daily site traffic and ordering statistics

• Instant updates early

• Ease for consumers to browse and collect prices

• Convenient for the consumer

• No face to face communication.

As increased broadband bandwidth helps build online business services, other influences such as the development of 10 Gigabit Ethernet and the release of Web 2.0 tools since 2005 and Web application frameworks have led to the emergence of social networks as a new business model and marketplace.
What is the big push behind E-commerce?

The list of advantages below may help answer this question:

• Efficiency gains.

• User friendly.

• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Unlike real stores, staff need not be employed 24 hours a day for a business to receive orders and process payments.

• Orders can be processed online in real time, or offline in batch processing.

• Globalisation – shops are not geography constrained and can compete with national and multinational companies for consumers located anywhere in the world. It is much cheaper than opening a shop and advertising in numerous countries.

• Provides flexibility.

• Reduction in processing costs - especially when large volume of business occurs between certain companies.

• Speed.

• Market freedom.

• New ways to fundraising activities.

• Competitive.
However your feelings towards doing business online may be moderated when we look at some of the issues or risks involved:

• Security.

• Vandalism.

• Sabotage.

• Theft and fraud.

• Breach of privacy or confidentiality.

• Violations of data integrity.


Reference:

Charles Sturt University ITC 594 E-system infrastructure development student study guide