Electronic Commerce eBusiness Essentials by Michelle Delio MIS 6453 – Spring 2006 Instructor: John Seydel, Ph.D.

Overview Intro Fundamentals Hardware/Software Web Hosting Site Design Putting it All Together

Intro Predicted B2B at $6.3 trillion for 2005 It’s about eliminating the middleman (disintermediation) Collision between nerds and business! Still, business is business Same basics for ecommerce as for other Need  Vision  Appropriate business model  Infrastructure Physical Virtual  Service & support resources  Operating partnerships

Fundamentals Basic ebusiness starts as brochureware Online presence Like an ad in the yellow pages Next step is becoming an electronic catalog Convenience for customers (24/7) Typically tied to a part of the overall business Then, integrate core business functions with the website

Hardware & Software Not a one-size-fits-all situation Make a careful assessment of needs Plan as if opening a new branch More computers? Faster ones? Graphics tools  Digital cameras  Software Appropriate connectivity Check with ISP Research several ISPs Make sure hardware and services are scalable RAM Processor Network and graphics cards Get the appropriate training

Web Hosting Check the options TopHosts.com HostIndex.com Be sure the appropriate ebusiness services are offered Server-side scripting engines (ASP, CF, PHP... ) Database engines (SQL Server, Oracle, Access, MySQL,... ) Avoid “free” hosting Need guarantees Uptime percentages Scalability (supports increasing access levels) Speed Security: backup, disaster recovery, who has access,... Other benefits Setup electronic payments Software to support site development Note: Any performance issues will be assumed by customer to reflective of your business, not of the web host! Have a Plan B (web host goes belly up)

Site Design As with building construction, software development, and quality in general, investment in design saves much more money down the road People can’t buy something they can’t find! Sites must be easy to use Internal search engines must be very effective Hence, navigability is as important as aesthetics

Putting it All Together Getting a basic site online is easy, but getting a serious and effective one is a challenge Implementation Maintenance Small firms need to enlist help Hosting site Building site Integrating site Focus on core business processes and build alliances with partners with the appropriate tech skills Need to plan for robust site that will grow with the business Education, service, and support are also needed Contracting concerns Experience and reputation Service level agreements Easy to reach help / one-point contact support for problems Key: use what you already know and look for the proper building blocks