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Introduction to e-Commerce
E-Commerce Software
Winter 85, 2
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Objectives
In this chapter, you will learn about:
Finding and evaluating Web hosting services
Basic functions of electronic commerce software
Advanced functions of electronic commerce
software
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Winter 85, 3
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Objectives (continued)
Electronic commerce software for small and
midsize businesses
Electronic commerce software for midsize to
large businesses
Electronic commerce software for large
businesses that have an existing information
technology infrastructure
Winter 85, 4
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Web Hosting Alternatives
Self-hosting
Running servers in-house
Commerce service providers (CSPs)
Provide Internet access to companies and
individuals
Offer Web server management and the renting of
application software
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Winter 85, 5
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Web Hosting Alternatives
(continued)
Shared hosting
Clients Web site is on a server that hosts other
Web sites simultaneously
Dedicated hosting
Service provider makes a Web server available
to a client
Co-location
Service provider rents a physical space to the
client to install its own server hardware
Winter 85, 6
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Server evaluation
Key questions to ask both management and
sales staff:
What is the target audience that accesses our
site?
Are transactions going to be taken via the
website, how often, and how many?
What is the level of staffing that is required to
maintain the server on a daily basis?
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Winter 85, 7
An Introduction to E-Commerce
The List Web Host Directory
Winter 85, 8
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Host evaluation
Compare Web hosts feature for feature :
http://www.hostindex.com/compare.asp
Web Host Guild :http://www.whg.org/
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Winter 85, 9
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Basic Functions of Electronic
Commerce Software
All electronic commerce solutions must
provide
A catalog display
Shopping cart capabilities
Transaction processing
Winter 85, 10
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Basic Functions of Electronic
Commerce Software (continued)
Additional software components
Middleware
Application integration
Web services
Integration with enterprise resource planning
(ERP) software
Supply chain management (SCM) software
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Winter 85, 11
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Catalog Display
Catalog
Listing of goods and services
Static catalog
Simple list written in HTML that appears on a
Web page
Dynamic catalog
Stores information about items in a database
Winter 85, 12
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Small Electronic Commerce
Site
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Winter 85, 13
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Shopping Cart
Problems with forms-based shopping
Shoppers had to write down product information
before going to the order form
Customers sometimes forgot whether they had
clicked the submit button
Confusing and error prone
Winter 85, 14
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Using a Form to Enter an Order
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Winter 85, 15
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Shopping Cart (continued)
Forms-based method of ordering has given
way to electronic shopping carts
Shopping cart
Keeps track of items a customer has selected
Allows customers to view contents of their carts,
add new items, or remove items
Winter 85, 16
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Typical Shopping Basket Page
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Winter 85, 17
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Transaction Processing
Occurs when a shopper proceeds to the
virtual checkout counter by clicking a
checkout button
Calculation complications
Computing taxes and shipping costs
Provisions for coupons, special promotions, and
time-sensitive offers
Winter 85, 18
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Advanced Functions of
Electronic Commerce Software
Middleware
Establishes a connection between electronic
commerce software and an accounting system
Interoperability
Making a companys information systems work
together
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Winter 85, 19
An Introduction to E-Commerce
BEA Technology Solutions
Page
Winter 85, 20
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Enterprise Application
Integration and Databases
Application program
Program that performs a specific function
Application server
Computer that takes request messages received
by the Web server and runs application programs
Business logic
Rules used in the business
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Winter 85, 21
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Application Integration and
Databases (continued)
Page-based application systems
Return pages generated by scripts
Component-based application system
Separates presentation logic from business logic
Database manager
Software that stores information in a highly
structured way
Winter 85, 22
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Application Integration and
Databases (continued)
Distributed information systems
Large information systems that store the same
data in many different physical locations
Distributed database systems
Databases within distributed information systems
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Winter 85, 23
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Web Services
Combination of software tools that let
application software in one organization
communicate with other applications over a
network
Companies are using Web services to offer
improved customer service and reduce costs
Winter 85, 24
An Introduction to E-Commerce
SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
Message-passing protocol
Web Services Description Language (WSDL)
Describes characteristics of logic units that make up
specific Web services
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration
(UDDI) specification
Set of protocols that identify locations of Web services
and their associated WSDL descriptions
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Winter 85, 25
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Integration with ERP Systems
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software
packages
Business systems that integrate all facets of a
business
Major ERP vendors
Baan, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP
Typical installation of ERP software costs
between $2 million and $25 million
Winter 85, 26
An Introduction to E-Commerce
ERP System Integration with
EDI
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Winter 85, 27
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Electronic Commerce Software for
Small and Midsize Companies
CSPs
Have same advantages as ISP hosting services
Low cost is biggest single advantage
Offer free or low-cost electronic commerce
software for building electronic commerce sites
Winter 85, 28
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Interland Web Hosting Services Home Page
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Winter 85, 29
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Mall-Style Commerce Service
Providers
Provide small businesses with
Internet connection
Web site creation tools
Little or no banner advertising clutter
Provide shopping cart software
CSPs that offer mall-style commerce services
eBay Stores and Yahoo! Store
Winter 85, 30
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Yahoo! Store
Serves as the business Web host for
Kennedy Space Center Space Shop
The Sharper Image
PalmPilotGear
Merchants can create, change, and maintain
their Yahoo! storefronts through a Web
browser
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Winter 85, 31
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Bigstep
Received many industry awards for its CSP
offering
Provides two different storefront packages
Reports
Provide data-mining capabilities
Data mining
Looking for hidden patterns in data
Winter 85, 32
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Electronic Commerce Software
for Midsize to Large Businesses
Midrange packages allow a merchant to have
explicit control over
Merchandising choices
Site layout
Internal architecture
Remote and local management options
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Winter 85, 33
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Intershop Enfinity
Intershop Enfinity MultiSite provides
Search and catalog capabilities
Electronic shopping carts
Online credit card transaction processing
The ability to connect to existing back-end
business systems and databases
Winter 85, 34
An Introduction to E-Commerce
IBM WebSphere Commerce
Professional Edition
Set of software components that provides
software suitable for midsize to large
businesses
Includes
Catalog templates
Setup wizards
Advanced catalog tools
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Winter 85, 35
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Microsoft Commerce Server
2002
Allows businesses to sell products or services on
the Web using the following tools
User profiling and management
Transaction processing
Product and service management
Target audience marketing
Provides many predefined reports for analyzing site
activities and product sales data
Winter 85, 36
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Electronic Commerce Software
for Large Businesses
Examples of enterprise-class products that
can be used to run a large online business
IBM WebSphere Commerce Business Edition
Oracle E-Business Suite
Broadvision One-To-One Commerce
Enterprise-class software
Typically provides good tools for linking to and
supporting supply and purchasing activities
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Winter 85, 37
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Typical Enterprise-Class
Electronic Commerce Architecture
Winter 85, 38
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Customer Relationship
Management Software
Must obtain data from operations software
that conducts activities such as
Sales automation
Customer service center operations
Marketing campaigns
Must also gather data about
Customer activities on the companys Web site
and any other points of contact
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Winter 85, 39
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Supply Chain Management
Software
Helps companies to coordinate planning and
operations with their partners in the industry
supply chains
Performs two general types of functions
Planning
Execution
Winter 85, 40
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Content Management Software
Should be tested before making a
commitment
Employees should find a softwares
procedures for performing regular
maintenance to be straightforward
Helps companies control the large amounts
of text, graphics, and media files
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Winter 85, 41
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Documentum Content
Management Web Site
Winter 85, 42
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Knowledge Management
Software
Helps companies do four main things
Collect and organize information
Share information among users
Enhance ability of users to collaborate
Preserve knowledge gained through use of
information
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Winter 85, 43
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Summary
Company must first choose between paying a
service provider to host the site and self-
hosting
External hosting options
Shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and co-location
Key elements of electronic commerce software
Catalogs, shopping carts, and transaction
processing capabilities
Winter 85, 44
An Introduction to E-Commerce
Summary (continued)
Commerce service provider (CSP)
Used by small enterprises just starting an electronic
commerce initiative
If a company already has computing equipment and
staff in place purchasing a midrange electronic
commerce software package provides more control
over a site
Large enterprises with high transaction rates need to
invest in larger, more customizable systems