eCommerce, eBusiness and Internet Architecture

Agenda Introduction and definitions The technology landscape The economic premises and the competitive environment IT as a competitive weapon

Today’s Agenda Definitions Technology Landscape Information Systems Architecture The Internet Business Models

eCommerce: “Business transactions that take place by telecommunication networks. A process of buying and selling products, services, and information over computer networks” Turban, et al., 2000

eCommerce: “An online exchange of value” Brad Wheeler, Indiana University “Digitally enabled commercial transactions between and among organizations and individuals” Laudon and Traver, 2001

The concept of online buying and selling over a network has been around for more than 20 years. EDI and Minitel are clear examples. Why then the eCommerce “revolution” is taking place right now? Question…

eCommerce Enabling trends: Globalization Digitization Pervasive computing Connectivity Manifestations: Ubiquity and availability Universal open standards Global reach Richness Interactivity Information density Personalized transactions and customized products Personalized transactions and customized products

Back

eBusiness “ The digital enablement of transactions and processes within the firm, involving information systems under the control of the firm” Laudon and Traver, 2001

eBusiness “ Strategic deployment of computer- mediated business tools and information technologies to satisfy business objectives” Hoffman & Novak, 1996 But also to re-shape them and create new ones

eBusiness “Fundamentally new ways of doing business … not mere extensions of existing business practices.” Hoffman & Novak, 1996 Where information and communication technologies become the fabric of the firm’s business processes

eBusiness Infrastructure

eComm, tip of the iceberg Modern Strategic IT eCommerce Applications eBusiness Infrastructure

Becoming mainstream “In five years there will be no eCommerce, just Commerce.” Anonymous “All business will soon be e-business” Don Tapscott

Classification: Transactions Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Business-to-Business (B2B) Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) Consumer-to-Business (C2B) Peer-to-peer (P2P) M-commerce U-commerce

Company structure Bricks and mortar Pure play (e.g., Amazon.com) Independent venture of established organization (e.g., Barnsandnoble.com) Integrated organization spanning both realms - Bricks and Clicks or Clicks and Mortar (e.g., RiteAid and Drugstore.com)

The building blocks of eBiz Infrastructure (e.g., ISP, equipment) Integrated business applications Inter-organizational systems (IOS) New organizational forms Business models

Information System Architecture

San Pietro in Vaticano ( )

Architecture The art or practice of designing and building structures Webster Dictionary

IS Architecture The IS Architecture represents the manner in which the components of an Information System fit together and are deployed to deliver expected information processing capabilities.

IS Architecture Architecture design: Benefits To general and functional management To the IS professionals Architecture design: Risks Architecture as a diagnostic tool

Architecture: components Technical Infrastructure Hardware infrastructure Software infrastructure Social Infrastructure Governing bodies Infrastructure management Applications and Services Software applications and services Data resources Users

Internet: Hardware infrastructure Host Host computers Mainframes Minicomputers Workstations Microcomputers PDAs Smart appliances Any computer connected to the Internet Any Internet “node” Host

Internet: Hardware infrastructure Communication Media POTS Cables Fiber optics Satellite (ether) Dedicated equipment Switches Routers

Source:

I wish I could find out how sales are going. Yesterday we did well. How will we do today? Internet: Hardware infrastructure Host It’s hot today, we are selling fast! Increase prices!! ARAMARK

Internet: Software infrastructure Server Client Client/Server Model

Internet: Software infrastructure Telephone Network Circuit Switching

Internet: Software infrastructure Packet Switching

Internet: Software infrastructure Transmitted Data Addressing Packet Location ~ 300 bytes The Packet

Some Examples Tracing the packets (Neotrace) Loosing the packets (Streaming video)

Internet: Software infrastructure Universal Open Communication Protocol: TCP/IP

Internet: Software infrastructure IP address: IP address octets Uniform Resource Locator (URL) protocol://machine_address[:port]/directory/file

Dissecting a URL http = protocol (e.g., ftp, http, Telnet).edu = top level domain Tulane.edu = domain name Freeman.tulane.edu = server at domain pmba = a directory on server pmba.html = a file containing html code

Network Solutions

Obtaining a Domain Name Piccoli

Who owns Piccoli.com Maybe they would sell it? Piccoli.com

Internet: Software infrastructure Mark-up Languages HTML HyperText Markup Language Cross-platform How information is displayed Plug-ins

HTML:

Internet: Software infrastructure Mark-up Languages HTML HyperText Markup Language Cross-platform How information is displayed Plug-ins XML eXtensible Markup Language Cross-platform Easily customizable The meaning of the information

XML:

Document Type Definition Defines the content and structure of XML doc. Accompanies the XML doc

Internet: Social infrastructure Infrastructure management Distributed private ownership Independent management Governing bodies Open standards ICANN W3C

Internet: Traditional services Electronic Mail World Wide Web File Transfer Protocol Telnet Mail Explosion Application Asynchronous Electronic Discussion Synchronous Electronic Discussion

Internet: Future services Messaging applications Streaming media Voice over IP Wireless Networking Wireless Web (WAP and iMode) Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) Internet Appliances Software on demand (ASP model)

Internet: Data resources Distributed data sources Distributed ownership of the data

Conclusion The IS Architecture represents the manner in which the components of an Information System fit together and are deployed to deliver expected information processing capabilities.