The Internet and Web technologies have tremendously changed the way of doing business in general, and commerce in particular. Users have more opportunities to be informed about the current trend of the market before making any decision. Users are continuously browsing the Internet as well as being overwhelmed with information from different online sources (for example, money.cnn.com/). In addition, there is no longer any need to go to a library to purchase one’s favorite sports magazine. Several Web sites exist that allow users to submit online orders.
This way of doing business constitutes a part of what is commonly known as e-commerce). Web shopping is only a small part of the whole e-commerce picture that covers several types of businesses
that range from customer-based retail sites like Amazon.com (business-to-consumer), to auction and music sites like eBay, and to business exchanges trading goods/services between corporations (business-to-business).
E-commerce is seen as a general term for any type of business, or commercial transaction, that involves the transfer of information across the Internet.
E-commerce puts new demands not only on support and delivery IT, but also on the way business processes have to be designed, deployed, and maintained. Several people in different locations and with different hardware and software resources may simultaneously initiate purchase requests for the same product but with different selection criteria. Reliability, efficiency, scalability, and fault-tolerance are among the features that should be embedded in e-commerce processes. To assess the value-added of these processes, it is crucial to be aware of their type. Processes that help potential
customers, whether individuals or businesses, in locating the goods/services they need are essential. At the same time, processes that allow suppliers to make customers aware of their products are also important. At the present time, Web sites are full of advertising banners that enable users to enter and visit provider sites with one click (for example, shopping.netscape.com/main.adp).
