Ebusiness is a term used to describe businesses run on the Internet, or utilizing Internet technologies to improve the

productivity or profitability of a business. In a more general sense, the term may be used to describe any form of
electronic business —- that is to say, any business which utilizes a computer. This usage is somewhat archaic,
however, and in most contexts ebusiness refers exclusively to Internet businesses.The most common implementation
of ebusiness is as an additional, or in some cases primary, storefront. By selling products and services online, an
ebusiness is able to reach a much wider consumer base than any traditional brick-and-mortar store could ever hope
for. This function of ebusiness is referred to as ecommerce, and the terms are occasionally used interchangeably.An
ebusiness may also use the Internet to acquire wholesale products or supplies for in-house production. This facet of
ebusiness is sometimes referred to as eprocurement, and may offer businesses the opportunity to cut their costs
dramatically. Even many ebusinesses which operate without an electronic storefront now use eprocurement as a way
to better track and manage their purchasing.In addition to buying and selling products, ebusiness may also handle
other traditional business aspects. The use of electronic chat as a form of technical and customer support is an
excellent example of this. An ebusiness which uses chat to supplement its traditional phone support finds a system
which saves incredible amounts of time while providing opportunities unavailable through traditional support. By
using virtual computer systems, for example, technical support operators can remotely access a customer's computer
and assist them in correcting a problem. And with the download of a small program, all pertinent information about
the hardware and software specifications for a user's computer may be relayed to the support operator directly,
without having to walk a customer through personally collecting the data.Electronic business, commonly referred to
as "eBusiness" or "e-business", may be defined as the application of information and communication technologies
(ICT) in support of all the activities of business. Commerce constitutes the exchange of products and services
between businesses, groups and individuals and can be seen as one of the essential activities of any business.
Electronic commerce focuses on the use of ICT to enable the external activities and relationships of the business with
individuals, groups and other businesses .Electronic business methods enable companies to link their internal and
external data processing systems more efficiently and flexibly, to work more closely with suppliers and partners, and
to better satisfy the needs and expectations of their customers.In practice, e-business is more than just e-commerce.
While e-business refers to more strategic focus with an emphasis on the functions that occur using electronic
capabilities, e-commerce is a subset of an overall e-business strategy. E-commerce seeks to add revenue streams
using the World Wide Web or the Internet to build and enhance relationships with clients and partners and to
improve efficiency using the Empty Vessel strategy. Often, e-commerce involves the application of knowledge
management systems.E-business involves business processes spanning the entire value chain: electronic purchasing
and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling customer service, and cooperating with
business partners. Special technical standards for e-business facilitate the exchange of data between companies. E-
business software solutions allow the integration of intra and inter firm business processes. E-business can be
conducted using the Web, the Internet, intranets, extranets, or some combination of these.Basically, electronic
commerce (EC) is the process of buying, transferring, or exchanging products, services, and/or information via
computer networks, including the internet. EC can also be benifited from many perspective including business
process, service, learning, collaborative, community. EC is often confused with e-business.
Applications can be divided into three categories:

1. Internal business systems:

 customer relationship management
 enterprise resource planning
 document management systems
 human resources management
2. Enterprise communication and collaboration:
 VoIP
 content management system
 e-mail
 voice mail
 Web conferencing
 Digital work flows (or business process management)
3. electronic commerce - business-to-business electronic commerce (B2B) or business-to-consumer
electronic commerce (B2C):
 internet shop
 supply chain management
 online marketing
 offline marketing
1.1. [edit]Models

When organizations go online, they have to decide which e-business models best suit their goals. [2] A business
model is defined as the organization of product, service and information flows, and the source of revenues and
benefits for suppliers and customers. The concept of e-business model is the same but used in the online presence.
The following is a list of the currently most adopted e-business models such as:

 E-shops
 E-commerce
 E-procurement
 E-malls
 E-auctions
 Virtual Communities
 Collaboration Platforms
 Third-party Marketplaces
 Value-chain Integrators
 Value-chain Service Providers
 Information Brokerage
 Telecommunication
 Customer relationship
1.1.1. [edit]Classification by provider and consumer
Roughly dividing the world into providers/producers and consumers/clients one can classify e-businesses into the
following categories:

 business-to-business (B2B)
 business-to-consumer (B2C)
 business-to-employee (B2E)
 business-to-government (B2G)
 government-to-business (G2B)
 government-to-government (G2G)
 government-to-citizen (G2C)
 consumer-to-consumer (C2C)
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  consumer-to-business (C2B)
It is notable that there are comparably less connections pointing "upwards" than "downwards" (few
employee/consumer/citizen-to-X models).
1.2. [edit]Electronic Business Security

E-Business systems naturally have greater security risks than traditional business systems, therefore it is important
for e-business systems to be fully protected against these risks. A far greater number of people have access to e-
businesses through the internet than would have access to a traditional business. Customers, suppliers, employees,
and numerous other people use any particular e-business system daily and expect their confidential information to
stay secure. Hackers are one of the great threats to the security of e-businesses. Some common security concerns for
e-Businesses include keeping business and customer information private and confidential, authenticity of data, and
data integrity. Some of the methods of protecting e-business security and keeping information secure include
physical security measures as well as data storage, data transmission, anti-virus software, firewalls, and encryption to
list a few. [3] [4]

1.2.1. [edit]Key Security Concerns within E-Business

t]Privacy and confidentiality
Confidentiality is the extent to which businesses makes personal information available to other businesses and
individuals.[5] With any business, confidential information must remain secure and only be accessible to the intended
recipient. However, this becomes even more difficult when dealing with e-businesses specifically. To keep such
information secure means protecting any electronic records and files from unauthorized access, as well as ensuring
safe transmission and data storage of such information. Tools such as encryption and firewalls manage this specific
concern within e-business. [4]

t]Authenticity
E-business transactions pose greater challenges for establishing authenticity due to the ease with which electronic
information may be altered and copies. Both parties in an e-business transaction want to have the assurance that the
other party is who they claim to be, especially when a customer places an order and then submits a payment
electronically. One common way to ensure this is to limit access to a network or trusted parties by using a virtual
private network (VPN) technology. The establishment of authenticity is even greater when a combination of
techniques are used, and such techniques involve checking “something you know” (i.e. password or PIN),
“something you have” (i.e. credit card), or “something you are” (i.e. digital signatures or voice recognition methods).
Many times in e-business, however, “something you are” is pretty strongly verified by checking the purchaser’s
“something you have” (i.e. credit card) and “something you know” (i.e. card number). [4]
t]Data integrity
Data integrity answers the question “Can the information be changed or corrupted in any way?” This leads to the
assurance that the message received is identical to the message sent. A business needs to be confident that data is not
changed in transit, whether deliberately or by accident. To help with data integrity, firewalls protect stored data
against unauthorized access, while simply backing up data allows recovery should the data or equipment be
damaged. [4]

t]Non-repudiation
This concern deals with the existence of proof in a transaction. A business must have assurance that the receiving
party or purchaser cannot deny that a transaction has occurred, and this means having sufficient evidence to prove the
transaction. One way to address non-repudiation is using digital signatures. [4] A digital signature not only ensures

3
 that a message or document has been electronically signed by the person, but since a digital signature can only be
created by one person, it also ensures that this person cannot later deny that they provided their signature. [6]
t]Access control
When certain electronic resources and information is limited to only a few authorized individuals, a business and its
customers must have the assurance that no one else can access the systems or information. Fortunately, there are a
variety of techniques to address this concern including firewalls, access privileges, user identification and
authentication techniques (such as passwords and digital certificates), Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and much
more. [4]
t]Availability
This concern is specifically pertinent to a business’ customers as certain information must be available when
customers need it. Messages must be delivered in a reliable and timely fashion, and information must be stored and
retrieved as required. Because availability of service is important for all e-business websites, steps must be taken to
prevent disruption of service by events such as power outages and damage to physical infrastructure. Examples to
address this include data backup, fire-suppression systems, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems, virus
protection, as well as making sure that there is sufficient capacity to handle the demands posed by heavy network
traffic. [4]
1.2.2. [edit]Common Security Measures for E-Business Systems
Many different forms of security exist for e-businesses. Some general security guidelines include areas in physical
security, data storage, data transmission, application development, and system administration.
t]Physical security
Despite e-business being business done online, there are still physical security measures that can be taken to protect
the business as a whole. Even though business is done online, the building that houses the servers and computers
must be protected and have limited access to employees and other persons. For example, this room should only allow
authorized users to enter, and should ensure that “windows, dropped ceilings, large air ducts, and raised floors” do
not allow easy access to unauthorized persons.[3] Preferably these important items would be kept in an air-conditioned
room without any windows. [7]Protecting against the environment is equally important in physical security as
protecting against unauthorized users. The room may protect the equipment against flooding by keeping all
equipment raised off of the floor. In addition, the room should contain a fire extinguisher in case of fire. The
organization should have a fire plan in case this situation arises. In addition to keeping the servers and computers
safe, physical security of confidential information is important. This includes client information such as credit card
numbers, checks, phone numbers, etc. It also includes any of the organization's private information. Locking physical
and electronic copies of this data in a drawer or cabinet is one additional measure of security. Doors and windows
leading into this area should also be securely locked. Only employees that need to use this information as part of their
job should be given keys. [3]Important information can also be kept secure by keeping backups of files and updating
them on a regular basis. It is best to keep these backups in a separate secure location in case there is a natural disaster
or breach of security at the main location.

dit]Data storage: Storing data in a secure manner is very important to all businesses, but especially to e-businesses
where most of the data is stored in an electronic manner. Data that is confidential should not be stored on the e-
business' server, but instead moved to another physical machine to be stored. If possible this machine should not
be directly connected to the internet, and should also be stored in a safe location. The information should be
stored in an encrypted format. [3]
Any highly sensitive information should not be stored if it is possible. If it does need to be stored, it should be kept
on only a few reliable machines to prevent easy access. Extra security measures should be taken to protect this
information (such as private keys) if possible. Additionally, information should only be kept for a short period of
time, and once it is no longer necessary it should be deleted to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Similarly, backups and copies of information should be kept secure with the same security measures as the original
information. Once a backup is no longer needed, it should be carefully but thoroughly destroyed. [3]
4
t]Data transmission and application development
All sensitive information being transmitted should be encrypted. Businesses can opt to refuse clients who can't accept
this level of encryption. Confidential and sensitive information should also never be sent through e-mail. If it must
be, then it should also be encrypted.Transferring and displaying secure information should be kept to a minimum.
This can be done by never displaying a full credit card number for example. Only a few of the numbers may be
shown, and changes to this information can be done without displaying the full number. It should also be impossible
to retrieve this information online.Source code should also be kept in a secure location. It should not be visible to the
public.Applications and changes should be tested before they are placed online for reliability and compatibility. [3]
t]System administration
Security on default operating systems should be increased immediately. Patches and software updates should be
applied in a timely manner. All system configuration changes should be kept in a log and promptly updated. System
administrators should keep watch for suspicious activity within the business by inspecting log files and researching
repeated logon failures. They can also audit their e-business system and look for any holes in the security
measures. [3] It is important to make sure plans for security are in place but also to test the security measures to make
sure they actually work. [7] With the use of social engineering, the wrong people can get a hold of confidential
information. To protect against this, staff can be made aware of social engineering and trained to properly deal with
sensitive information.E-businesses may use passwords for employee logons, accessing secure information, or by
customers. Passwords should be made impossible to guess. They should consist of both letters and numbers, and be
at least seven to eight digits long. They should not contain any names, birth dates, etc. Passwords should be changed
frequently and should be unique each time. Only the password's user should know the password and it should never
be written down or stored anywhere. Users should also be locked out of the system after a certain number of failed
logon attempts to prevent guessing of passwords. [3] [7]
1.2.3. [edit]Security Solutions
When it comes to security solutions, there are some main goals that are to be met. These goals are data integrity,
strong authentication, and privacy.
t]Access and data integrity
There are several different ways to prevent access to the data that is kept online. One way is to use anti-virus
software. This is something that most people use to protect their networks regardless of the data they have. E-
businesses should use this because they can then be sure that the information sent and received to their system is
clean. [4] A second way to protect the data is to use firewalls and network protection. A firewall is used to restrict
access to private networks, as well as public networks that a company may use. The firewall also has the ability to
log attempts into the network and provide warnings as it is happening. They are very beneficial to keep third-parties
out of the network. Businesses that use Wi-Fi need to consider different forms of protection because these networks
are easier for someone to access. They should look into protected access, virtual private networks, or internet
protocol security. [4] Another option they have is an intrusion detection system. This system alerts when there are
possible intrusions. Some companies set up traps or “hot spots” to attract people and are then able to know when
someone is trying to hack into that area. [4]
t]Encryption
Encryption, which is actually a part of cryptography, involves transforming texts or messages into a code which is
unreadable. These messages have to be decrypted in order to be understandable or usable for someone. There is a key
that identifies the data to a certain person or company. With public key encryption, there are actually two keys used.
One is public and one is private. The public one is used for encryption, and the private for decryption. The level of
the actual encryption can be adjusted and should be based on the information. The key can be just a simple slide of
letters or a completely random mix-up of letters. This is relatively easy to implement because there is software that a
company can purchase. A company needs to be sure that their keys are registered with a certificate authority. [4]
t]Digital certificates
The point of a digital certificate is to identify the owner of a document. This way the receiver knows that it is an
authentic document. Companies can use these certificates in several different ways. They can be used as a
5
 replacement for user names and passwords. Each employee can be given these to access the documents that they need
from wherever they are. These certificates also use encryption. They are a little more complicated than normal
encryption however. They actually used important information within the code. They do this in order to assure
authenticity of the documents as well as confidentiality and data integrity which always accompany
encryption. [4] Digital certificates are not commonly used because they are confusing for people to implement. There
can be complications when using different browsers, which means they need to use multiple certificates. The process
is being adjusted so that it is easier to use. [4]
t]Digital signatures
A final way to secure information online would be to use a digital signature. If a document has a digital signature on
it, no one else is able to edit the information without being detected. That way if it is edited, it may be adjusted for
reliability after the fact. In order to use a digital signature, one must use a combination of cryptography and a
message digest. A message digest is used to give the document a unique value. That value is then encrypted with the
sender’s private key. [4]

Ebusiness is the conducting of business on the Internet, not only buying and selling,
but also serving customers and collaborating with business partners. Organizations
realize that putting up simple websites for customers, employees, and partners
does not create an ebusiness. Ebusiness websites must create a buzz, much as Amazon
has done in the bookselling industry. Ebusiness websites must be innovative,
add value, and provide useful information. In short, the site must build a sense of
community and collaboration, eventually becoming the port of entry for business.
Understanding ebusiness begins with understanding:
■ Disruptive technology.
■ Evolution of the Internet.
■ Accessing Internet information.
■ Providing Internet information.

One of the biggest benefi ts of the Internet is its ability to allow organizations to
perform business with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Ecommerce is the buying and
selling of goods and services over the Internet. Ecommerce refers only to online
transactions. Ebusiness, derived from the term ecommerce, is the conducting of
business on the Internet, not only buying and selling, but also serving customers
and collaborating with business partners. The primary difference between ecommerce
and ebusiness is that ebusiness also refers to online exchanges of information,
such as a manufacturer allowing its suppliers to monitor production schedules
or a fi nancial institution allowing its customers to review their banking, credit card,
and mortgage accounts.
In the past few years, ebusiness seems to have permeated every aspect of daily
life. Both individuals and organizations have embraced Internet technologies to enhance
productivity, maximize convenience, and improve communications globally.
From banking to shopping to entertainment, the Internet has become integral to
daily life.
Ebusiness applications:

Retail
Travel
Telecommunications
Financial
Manufacturing Health Care

EBUSINESS MODELS
A ebusiness model is an approach to conducting electronic business on the Internet.
6
Ebusiness transactions take place between two major entities—businesses and
consumers.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR EBUSINESS

To be successful in ebusiness, an organization must master the art of electronic relationships.
Traditional means of customer acquisition such as advertising, promotions,
and public relations are just as important with a website. Primary business
areas taking advantage of ebusiness include:
■ Marketing/sales
■ Financial services
■ Procurement
■ Customer service
■ Intermediaries
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E-Business – Transaction Types

• Business-to-business (B2B)

• Collaborative commerce (c-commerce)

• Business-to-consumers (B2C)

• Consumers-to-businesses (C2B)

• Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

• Intra-business (intra-organizational) commerce

• Government-to-citizens (G2C)

• Mobile commerce (m-commerce)

What are the relevant components of an e-business model?

An e-business model must have:31
1. A shared digital business infrastructure, including digital production and distribution technologies
(broadband/wireless networks, content creation technologies and information management systems), which will
allow business participants to create and utilize network economies of scale32 and scope33;
2. A sophisticated model for operations, including integrated value chains-both supply chains34 and buy chains35;
3. An e-business management model, consisting of business teams and/or partnerships
4. Policy, regulatory and social systems-i.e., business policies consistent with e-commerce laws,
teleworking/virtual work, distance learning, incentive schemes, among others.
Contrast with Conventional Marketing

“a many-to-many mediated communications model in which consumers can interact with the medium, firms can
provide content to the medium and, in the most radical departure from traditional marketing environments,
consumers can provide commercially oriented content to the medium.”

E-Commerce & E-Business

E-commerce describes the process of buying, selling, transferring, or exchanging products, services, and/or
information via computer networks, including the Internet. E-business refers to a broader definition of e-commerce,
not just the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers, collaborating with business
partners, conducting e-learning, and processing electronic transactions.

• Electronic commerce can take several forms depending on the degree of digitization (the
transformation from physical to digital).

• The degree of digitization relates to:

– the product (service) sold

– the process

– the delivery agent (or intermediary).

E Commerce
E Commerce (Electronic Commerce) is any form of business transaction in which the parties interact
electronically over the Internet rather than by physical exchange or conduct.
What is e-commerce?
Electronic commerce or e-commerce refers to a wide range of online business activities
8
for products and services.1 It also pertains to “any form of business transaction in
which the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or direct
physical contact.”2
E-commerce is usually associated with buying and selling over the Internet, or conducting
any transaction involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods or
services through a computer-mediated network.3 Though popular, this definition is
not comprehensive enough to capture recent developments in this new and revolutionary
business phenomenon. A more complete definition is: E-commerce is the
use of electronic communications and digital information processing technology in
business transactions to create, transform, and redefine relationships for value creation
between or among organizations, and between organizations and individuals.4

Is e-commerce the same as e-business?

While some use e-commerce and e-business interchangeably, they are distinct concepts.
In e-commerce, information and communications technology (ICT) is used in
inter-business or inter-organizational transactions (transactions between and among
firms/organizations) and in business-to-consumer transactions (transactions between
firms/organizations and individuals).
In e-business, on the other hand, ICT is used to enhance one’s business. It includes
any process that a business organization (either a for-profit, governmental
or non-profit entity) conducts over a computer-mediated network. A more comprehensive
definition of e-business is: “The transformation of an organization’s processes to
deliver additional customer value through the application of technologies, philosophies
and computing paradigm of the new economy.”
Three primary processes are enhanced in e-business:5
1. Production processes, which include procurement, ordering and replenishment
of stocks; processing of payments; electronic links with suppliers; and
production control processes, among others;
2. Customer-focused processes, which include promotional and marketing efforts,
selling over the Internet, processing of customers’ purchase orders and
payments, and customer support, among others; and
3. Internal management processes, which include employee services, training, internal information-sharing, video-
conferencing, and recruiting. Electronic applications enhance information flow between production and sales forces
to improve sales force productivity. Workgroup communications and electronic publishing of internal business
information are likewise made more Efficient.

Is the Internet economy synonymous with e-commerce and e-business?

The Internet economy is a broader concept than e-commerce and e-business. It includes e-commerce and e-business.
The Internet economy pertains to all economic activities using electronic networks as a medium for commerce or
those activities involved in both building the networks
linked to the Internet and the purchase of application services7 such as the
provision of enabling hardware and software and network equipment for Web-based/
online retail and shopping malls (or “e-malls”). It is made up of three major segments:
physical (ICT) infrastructure, business infrastructure, and commerce.8

Introduction
Electronic commerce is a revolution in business practices. If organizations are going to take advantage of new
Internet technologies, then they must take a strategic perspective. That is, care must be taken to make a close link
between corporate strategy and electronic commerce strategy.
In this chapter, we address some essential strategic issues, describe the major themes tackled by this book, and
outline the other chapters. Among the central issues we discuss are defining electronic commerce, identifying the
9
extent of a firm's Internet usage, explaining how electronic commerce can address the three strategic challenges
facing all firms, and understanding the parameters of disintermediation. Consequently, we start with these issues.
Electronic commerce defined
Electronic commerce, in a broad sense, is the use of computer networks to improve organizational performance.
Increasing profitability, gaining market share, improving customer service, and delivering products faster are some
of the organizational performance gains possible with electronic commerce. Electronic commerce is more than
ordering goods from an on-line catalog. It involves all aspects of an organization's electronic interactions with its
stakeholders, the people who determine the future of the organization. Thus, electronic commerce includes
activities such as establishing a Web page to support investor relations or communicating electronically with college
students who are potential employees. In brief, electronic commerce involves the use of information technology to
enhance communications and transactions with all of an organization's stakeholders. Such stakeholders include
customers, suppliers, government regulators, financial institutions, mangers, employees, and the public at large.

What are the existing practices in developing countries with respect to buying
and paying online?
In most developing countries, the payment schemes available for online transactions
are the following:
A. Traditional Payment Methods
● Cash-on-delivery. Many online transactions only involve submitting purchase
orders online. Payment is by cash upon the delivery of the physical goods.
● Bank payments. After ordering goods online, payment is made by depositing
cash into the bank account of the company from which the goods were ordered.
Delivery is likewise done the conventional way.
B. Electronic Payment Methods
● Innovations affecting consumers, include credit and debit cards, automated
teller machines (ATMs), stored value cards, and e-banking.
● Innovations enabling online commerce are e-cash, e-checks, smart cards,
and encrypted credit cards. These payment methods are not too popular in
developing countries. They are employed by a few large companies in specific
secured channels on a transaction basis.
● Innovations affecting companies pertain to payment mechanisms that banks
provide their clients, including inter-bank transfers through automated clearing
houses allowing payment by direct deposit.

WHAT MAKES E-BUSINESS DIFFERENT

All e-business is potentially worldwide in scope. There are no national or territorial
boundaries on the internet. The jurisdictional exposure to uncertain and possibly conflicting
laws is great. The ease of access to e-business businesses through the internet coupled with their
24x7 availability presents a strong likelihood that customers from around the world will visit
sites. This global exposure and related legal risks associated with the absence of territorial
boundaries as well as business hour limitations need to be kept in mind. E-business websites are private property.
They may be thought of as a piece of virtual real estate in cyberspace. Because they are positioned in cyberspace
there is an implied invitation to visit them. They are intended to be visited. Visitation is encouraged further by
advertising. This is one reason why websites need to implement applicable Terms of Use so that
customers and visitors are on notice as to the house rules applicable to the websites, their
content, services and use. Website Terms of Use have become the principal legal strategy for
managing the legal risks associated with e-business or virtual business websites. Another major characteristic of e-
commerce business applications is to recognize their dependence on information technology. The risks of computer
errors, hackers, computer viruses, denial of service attacks, power outages, computer malfunctions and unplanned
downtime need to be appreciated. Security, reliability and scalability are thus very important to e-commerce
businesses and promise to become increasingly more important in the years ahead. Cyber
security has become increasingly more important as the risks become increasingly more
10
threatening. Another factor is the anonymous nature of the relationship between e-buyers and esellers.
Fraud is much more of a risk in e-business transactions because of the anonymous
character of the relationship. There are concerns over possible export control violations,
customers being children or other persons who are not competent to enter into a contract with the
seller, or being someone using another party’s identity or account number. Identity theft has
become a major concern. These concerns are more problematic because of the anonymous,
virtual relationship that exists in e-business transactions. It is also important to recognize that
brand names and branding strategies are much more important in e-business. E-business
companies need to recognize the importance of a trust relationship with their customers. Trust
has emerged as a critical success factor. It is important to recognize that most e-business applications involve
intellectual property considerations. Linking, framing, caching and downloading, for example, all implicate the
copyright laws. Access to and use of most of website content also may require copyright
analysis. Patent, trademark, domain name and trade secret issues may also need to be
considered. The intellectual property analysis should be an integral part of the early planning
and design for new e-business applications. E-commerce business models are usually based on the network effect.
Network effects arise when the value of the e-business application increases with the addition of each participant.
Supply and demand do not have the traditional economic relationship. E-business agreements tend to be short in
duration with due regard to rapidly changing market conditions and advances in technology. Exponential
improvements in technology keep occurring year after year. These differences need to be appreciated. E-business
transaction data and site usage data are becoming increasingly more valuable. The internet is a communications
medium. First Amendment issues may arise. Much of e-business is carried out through electronic agreements and
electronic communications which implicate some specific legal issues and requirements. Electronic communication
and transactions are being carried out at internet speed. The speed of these communications and transactions also
needs to be appreciated. There is less time for reflection and more potential for mistakes. Computer software errors
and data input errors, for example, may cause serious problems. Finally, the internet affords dramatic possibilities for
opening up societies that are relatively insular and closed to the outside world, although that promise remains
unfulfilled particularly in countries that block unfettered access to the internet or that control ISPs.32 However, there
are many countries that block access to the internet, or regulate the content that may be seen by citizens in their
country.33 Efforts to obstruct content stand starkly in the way of the free flow of information and technology that has
led new markets to emerge, in part, as new technologies have matured. These are some of the principal
characteristics of e-business that make it different. These differences are useful to keep in mind when developing
legal risk management strategies for today’s e-business applications and tomorrow’s potential problems.

11