Chapter 9 E-Government, E-Learning, and Other EC Applications

2 Learning Objectives 1.Describe e-government to citizens (G2C) and to business (G2B). 2.Describe various e-government initiatives. 3.Discuss online publishing and e-books. 4.Describe e-learning and virtual universities.

3 Learning Objectives (cont.) 5.Describe knowledge management and dissemination. 6.Describe C2C activities. 7.Understand how peer-to-peer technology works in intrabusiness, in B2B, and in C2C. 8.Describe other EC applications.

4 E-Learning at Cisco Systems The Problem –Cisco’s products are continuously being upgraded or replaced; so extensive training of employees and customers is needed –Employees, business partners, and independent students seeking professional certification all require training on a continuous basis

5 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) –Traditional classroom training was both expensive and ineffective because of: The rapid growth in the number of students The fast pace of technological change

6 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) The Solution –Built two e-learning portals For 40 partner companies that sell Cisco products For 4,000 systems engineers who implement the products after the sale

7 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) –To encourage its own employees to use e-learning, Cisco: Makes e-learning a mandatory part of employees’ jobs. Offers easy access to e-learning tools via the Web. Makes e-learning nonthreatening Help employees pass and remove the fear associated with failed tests Offers additional incentives and rewards Adds e-learning as a strategic top-down metric for Cisco executives

8 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) For its employees, partners, and customers, Cisco operates E-Learning Centers for Excellence that offer training

9 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) The Results –Reduced costs of developing and blending courses –Saved productivity, travel and lodging costs –Saved per capita trainee costs –Are able to offer more courses at lower costs

10 E-Learning at Cisco Systems (cont.) What we can learn… –Application of e-learning as an efficient training tool –E-learning is also becoming popular in all levels and types of schools and universities

11 E-Government E-government: The use of IT and e-commerce to provide access to government information and delivery of public services to citizens and business partners Offers an opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the functions of government and to make governments more transparent to citizens and businesses by providing access to more of the information generated by government

12 E-Government (cont.) Government-to-citizens (G2C): E-government category that includes all the interactions between a government and its citizens

13 E-Government (cont.) Major features of government Web sites: –phone and address information –links to other sites –publications –databases

14 E-Government (cont.) Major areas of G2C activities: –tourism and recreation –research and education –downloadable forms –discovery of government services –information about public policy –advice about health and safety issues Useful in solving constituents’ problems

15 E-Government (cont.) Netizen: A citizen surfing the Internet Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) –nationwide EBT system to deliver government benefits electronically deliver benefits to recipients’ bank accounts smart card system for those without bank accounts

16 E-Government (cont.) Government-to-business (G2B): E- government category that includes interactions between governments and businesses (government selling to businesses and providing them with services and businesses selling products and services to government)

17 E-Government (cont.) Group purchasing eFAST service conducts reverse auctions for aggregated orders Forward e-auctions auction surplus or other goods Tax collection and management electronic filing of taxes is now available in over 100 countries

18 E-Government (cont.) Government-to-government (G2G): E- government category that includes activities within government units and those between governments Government-to-employees (G2E): E- government category that includes activities and services between government units and their employees

19 Implementing E-Government Transformation process Stage 1: Information publishing/dissemination Stage 2: “Official” two-way transactions with one department at a time Stage 3: Multipurpose portals Stage 4: Portal personalization Stage 5: Clustering of common services Stage 6: Full integration and enterprise transformation

20 Implementing E-Government (cont.)

21 Implementing E-Government (cont.) Implementation issues –Transformation speed –G2B implementation –Security and privacy issues –Wireless applications

22 Implementing E-Government (cont.)

23 Online Publishing, E-Books,and Blogging Online publishing: The electronic delivery of newspapers, magazines, books, news, music, videos, and other digitizable information over the Internet e-zines: Electronic magazines

24 Online Publishing Online publishing approaches and methods –Online-archive approach –New-medium approach –Publishing-intermediation approach –Dynamic approach

25 Online Publishing (cont.) Content providers and distributors –Those who provide and distribute content online –The issue of intellectual property payments is critical to the success of content distribution –In 2002, many online content providers were starting to charge for content, as advertising was insufficient to cover their expenses

26 Online Publishing (cont.) Publishing of music, videos, games, and entertainment –Webcasting: Live shows broadcast on the Web –Webinars: Seminars on the Web (Web-based seminars) –Edutainment: The combination of education and entertainment, often through games

27 E-Books E-book: A book in digital form that can be read on a computer screen or on a special device E-books can be delivered and read via: –Web download –Web access –Dedicated reader –General-purpose reader –Web server

28 E-Books (cont.) Types of e-books –Web server –Online bookshelf –The download –The Rubics-cube hyperlink book –The interactive, build-your-own (BYO) decision book

29 E-Books (cont.) Advantages of e-books –Portability –Lower production and distribution costs –Lower updating and reproduction costs –Ability to reach many readers –Ease of combining several books (customization) –Lower advertising costs

30 E-Books (cont.) Limitations of e-books –E-books require hardware and software that may be too expensive for some readers –Some people have difficulty reading large amounts of material on a screen –Batteries may run down –There are multiple, competing standards –Only a few books are available as e-books

31 E-Books (cont.) E-book issues –How to protect the publisher’s/author’s copyright –How to distribute and sell e-books –How much to charge and collect payment for an e-book –How to best support navigation in an e-book –Which standards to use –How to increase reading speed –How to deal with resistance to change –How to design an e-book –How publishers can justify e-books in terms of profit and market share –How to secure content

32 E-Books (cont.) Print on demand Customized printing jobs, usually in small quantities, and possibly only one document or book Process 1.A publisher creates a digital master and sends it to a specialized print-on-demand company 2.When an order is placed, a print-on-demand machine prints out the text of the document or book, then covers, binds, and trims it (300-page book in 1 minute) 3.The books are packaged and shipped to the publisher or the consumer

33 Blogging Weblogging/blogging: Technology for personal publishing on the Internet Blog: A personal Web site that is open to the public

34 E-Learning E-learning: The online delivery of information for purposes of education, training, or knowledge management Web-enabled system that makes knowledge accessible –to those who need it –when they need it, anytime, anywhere

35 E-Learning (cont.)

36 E-Learning (cont.) Benefits of e-learning –Time reduction –Large volume and diversity –Cost reduction –Higher content retention –Flexibility –Updated and consistent material –Fear-free environment

37 E-Learning (cont.) Drawbacks and challenges of e-learning –Need for instructor retraining –Equipment needs and support services –Lack of face-to-face interaction and campus life –Assessment –Maintenance and updating –Protection of intellectual property –Computer literacy –Student retention

38 E-Learning Failures E-learning failures due to: –Believing that e-learning is always a cheaper learning or training alternative –Overestimating what e-learning can accomplish –Overlooking the shortcomings of self-study –Failing to look beyond the course paradigms

39 E-Learning (cont.) –Viewing content as a commodity, which causes lack of attention to quality and delivery to individuals –Ignoring technology tools for e-learning or, on the other hand, fixating too much on –Technology as a solution –Assuming that learned knowledge will be applied –Believing that because e-learning has been implemented, employees and students will use it

40 E-Learning (cont.) Virtual and online universities –Distance learning: Formal education that takes place off campus, usually, but not always, through online resources –Virtual university: An online university from which students take classes from home or other off-site locations usually via the Internet

41 E-Learning (cont.) Online corporate training via the intranet and corporate portals or the Internet

42 E-Learning (cont.) Drivers of e-learning –Technological change –Competition and cost pressures –Globalization –Continual learning –Network connectivity

43 E-Learning (cont.) E-learning tools available from: –WebCT –Blackboard –Learning Space from Lotus Corporation –Computerprep.com –Macromedia.com –Ecollege.com

44 E-Learning (cont.) Implementing e-learning centers –A learning center is a focal point for all corporate training and learning activities, including online ones –Facilities may be run by a third party rather than connected to any particular corporation, and they are referred to as electronic education malls

45 Knowledge Management and E-Commerce Knowledge management (KM): The process of capturing or creating knowledge, storing it, updating it constantly, interpreting it, and using it whenever necessary Organizational knowledge base: The repository for an enterprise’s accumulated knowledge

46 Knowledge Management (cont.) KM types 1.Human capital 2.Structured capital (organizational capital) 3.Customer capital

47 Knowledge Management (cont.) KM activities 1.Creating knowledge repositories where knowledge can be stored and retrieved easily 2.Enhancing a knowledge environment in order to conduct more effective knowledge creation, transfer and use 3.Managing knowledge as an asset so as to increase the effective use of knowledge assets over time 4.Improving knowledge access to facilitate its transfer between individuals

48 Knowledge Management (cont.) Knowledge sharing –Knowledge has a limited value if it is not shared –The ability to share knowledge decreases its cost and increases its effectiveness for greater competitive advantage

49 Knowledge Management (cont.) Song (2002) proposed a framework for organizing and sharing knowledge gleaned from the Internet –list strategic goals and objectives and the critical information needed for their attainment –build analysis and storage mechanism as part of a business intelligence system

50 Knowledge Management and E-Commerce (cont.) KM relationship to EC –organizations need knowledge, which is provided by KM –large amounts of data can be gathered easily, and through analysis organizations learn about their clients and generate useful knowledge for planning and decision making

51 Knowledge Management and E-Commerce (cont.) Core knowledge management activities should include: –Identification –Creation –Capture and codification –Classification –Distribution –Utilization –Evolution of the knowledge needed to develop products and partnerships

52 Knowledge Management and E-Commerce (cont.) Knowledge portal: A single point of access software system intended to provide timely access to information and to support communities of knowledge workers

53 Knowledge Management and E-Commerce (cont.) Online advice and consulting –Medical advice –Management consulting –Legal advice –Gurus –Financial advice –Other advisory services

54 Customer-to-Customer E-Commerce Customer-to-customer (C2C): e-commerce in which both the buyer and the seller are individuals (not businesses); involves activities such as auctions and classified ads

55 Customer-to-Customer E-Commerce (cont.) C2C auctions –general sites (eBay.com, auctionanything.com) –specialized sites (buyit.com, bid2bid.com) Classified ads –national, rather than a local, audience –greatly increases the supply of goods and services available and the number of potential buyers

56 Customer-to-Customer E-Commerce (cont.) Personal services –lawyers –handy helpers –tax preparers –investment clubs –dating services

57 Customer-to-Customer E-Commerce (cont.) C2C exchanges –consumer-to-consumer bartering exchanges (targetbarter.com) –consumer exchanges that help buyers and sellers find each other and negotiate deals (see business2.com)

58 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications Peer-to-peer (P2P): A network architecture in which workstations (or PCs) share data and processing with each other directly rather than through a central server

59 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) Characteristics of P2P systems –provide for real-time access to other users (e.g., instant messaging) –maximize the use of physical attributes such as processor cycles, storage space, bandwidth, and location on the network –employ user interfaces that load outside of a Web browser –address the need to reach content resources located on the Internet periphery –support “cross-networking” protocols –promote popular interest by doing something new or exciting

60 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) P2P networking connects people directly to other people Provides an easy system for sharing, publishing, and interacting that does not require knowledge of system administration

61 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) Models of P2P applications –Collaboration –Content distribution –Business process automation –Distributed search

62 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.)

63 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) C2C P2P applications –Napster—people could enter files that other people were willing to share –U.S. federal court found Napster to be in violation of copyright laws because it enabled people to obtain music files without paying the creators of the music for access to their material

64 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) –Gnutella (gnutella.com) a P2P program connects the peer computers –Kazaa –ICQ (the instant messenger-type chat room) where chatters share the same screen

65 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) Intrabusiness P2P applications companies are using P2P to facilitate internal collaboration B2B P2P applications enable companies to store documents in- house instead of on an unknown, and possibly unsecured, server

66 Peer-to-Peer Networks and Applications (cont.) B2C P2P applications –Marketing –Advertising –B2C payments

67 Other EC Applications Selling prescription drugs online drugstore.com Postal services e-stamp.com Services for adults adultshop.com

68 Other EC Applications (cont.) E-alliances For a large EC project, a company may join with a technology provider, a logistics provider, and a bank Wedding-related sites –Wedding channels –Gift registries

69 Managerial Issues 1.Are there e-government opportunities? 2.Are there e-learning opportunities? 3.Can we capitalize on C2C? 4.How well are we managing our knowledge? 5.Are there P2P applications?

70 Summary 1.E-government to citizens and businesses. 2.Other e-government activities. 3.Online publishing and e-books. 4.E-learning, and virtual universities.

71 Summary (cont.) 5.Knowledge management and dissemination. 6.C2C activities. 7.Peer-to-peer technology and applications. 8.Other innovative applications.