E-commerce as part of the whole e-business evolution has been the object of
major changes [3]. First, businesses started the digitalization of their data to make it
available online. This data included the business’s profile and catalogues. Initially,
businesses did not attempt to adapt their business processes (that is, the know-how).
Later, businesses decided to undertake the reengineering of their processes due to the
pressure to remain competitive. The traditional way of satisfying users’ needs could
no longer cope with the challenges presented by the new context with its complex features:
profitability, competition, alliances, and market volatility.
Adjusting the business’s
know-how to the context, therefore, became critical. The third stage consisted of offering online forms to capture users’ needs efficiently and accurately. There was
no longer the need to send faxes or call vendors to get orders completed. To conclude
any purchase transaction, financial partners were invited to join the shopper-vendor
relationship. Ensuring the security of the payment process and the exchange of private
information was and still is a major concern. The next stage in the e-business
evolution was the offering of personalized services. The purpose of personalized services
is to include the profiles of users in terms of preferences and interests when working
to fulfill their needs. Now, the trend of e-business is towards joint ventures where
business processes are merged.
Despite the growing number of e-commerce sites, conducting e-commerce operations
is still challenging. Various obstacles exist. First, relevant Web sites with access
to catalogues have to be discovered. Second, the way these sites operate has to be
understood. Third, needs have to be specified according to the characteristics (terminology)
of the sites. Last but not least, security problems can occur when sensitive
information is submitted.
