Chapters 5 and 6

Chapter 5

1. Describe the three network applications that we discussed in this section and the tools and technologies that support each one.
· Discovery: involves browsing and information retrieval, and provides users with the ability to view information in databases download it and or process it. Discover tools include search engines, directories and portals.
· Communications: networks provide fast inexpensive communications, via e-mail, blogs, call centers, chat rooms and voice communications

2. What are the business conditions that are leading to the increased importance of videoconferencing?
Businesses are competing in a global market, it is to hard and to expenses to communicate face-to face so through videoconferencing they combat these issues.

Section 5.2 1. Describe the underlying technologies, applications and types of Web sites that comprise Web 2.0.
The information technologies and applications used by Web 2.0 sites include XML, AJAX, tagging, blogs, Wikis, Really Simple Syndication, podcasting and video casting. The websites that comprise Web 2.0 include social media sites, aggregators and mashups.

2. Describe the function of Web services.
Web services are applications, delivered over the internet that users can select and combine through almost any device, from personal computers to mobile phones. By using a set of shared protocols and standards, these application permit different systems to talk with one another- that is , to share data and services without requiring human beings to translate the conversation. 3. Describe the function of service-oriented architectures. A service-orientated architecture (SOA) is an IT architecture that makes it possible to construct business applications using Web services. The Web services can be reused across an organisation in other applications.


Chapter 6

Section 6.1 - 1. Define e-commerce and distinguish it from e-business.
E-commerce describes the process of buying selling, transferring, or exchanging products, services, or information via computer networks, including the internet. E-business is a broader concept. In addition to the buying and selling of goods and services, e-business also refers to servicing customers, collaborating with business partners and performing electronic transactions within an organisation.

2. Distinguish among B2C, B2B, C2C and B2E electronic commerce.
-Business-to-consumer (B2C): the sellar are the organisations and the buyers are the individuals.
-Business-to-business (B2B); In these transactions, both sellers an buyers are business organisations.
-Consumer-to-consumer (C2C): an individual sells products or services to other individuals.
-Business-to-employee (B2E): an organisation uses EC internally to provide information and services to its employees companies allow employees to manage their benefits and to take training classes electronically.

3. List some benefits and limitations of e-commerce.
E-commerce benefits organisation by making national and international markets more accessible and by lowering the costs of processing, distributing and retrieving information. Customer’s benefit by being able to access a vast number of products and services around the clock. The major benefit to society is the ability to easily and conveniently deliver information, services and products to people in cities, rural areas and developing countries. EC has some limitations. Technological limitations include the lack of universally accepted security standards, insufficient telecommunications bandwidth and expensive accessibility. Non-technical limitations include the perceptions that EC is insecure, has unresolved legal issues and lacks a critical mass of buyers and sellers.

Section 6.2 - 1. List the major issues relating to e-tailing.
-Channel Conflict: can alienate the distributors, this can arise in areas such as pricing of products and services and resource allocation.
-Order Fulfilment: This can also be a source of problems for e-tailers. Any time a company sells directly to customers, it is involved in various order-fulfilments activities. It must perform many activities, though it is very difficult to accomplish these activities both effectively and efficiently in B2C, because a company has to ship small packages to many customers and do it quickly. For this reason companies involved in B2C activities often have difficulties in supply chains.

2. What are spamming, permission marketing and viral marketing?
-Spamming: is the indiscriminate distribution of electronic ads without permission of the receiver.
-Permission Marketing: as consumers to give their permission to voluntarily accept online advertising and e-mail.
-Viral Marketing: refers to online “word-of-mouth” marketing. The idea behind viral marketing is to have people forward messages to friends.

Section 6.4 1. List the various electronic payment mechanisms.
-Electronic Checks
-Electronic Credit Cards
-Purchasing Cards
-Electronic Cash
-Digital Wallets

2. What are micropayments?
They are small payments of a few dollars or less. Section 6.5 -1. List some ethical issues in EC.
-Presents some threats to privacy
-Issue of tracking
- It may eliminate the need for some of a company’s employees, as well as brokers or agents.

2. List the major legal issues of EC.
-Fraud on the internet.
- Domain names
- Cybersquatting
-Taxes and other fees
-Copyright