E-Commerce

E-commerce Infrastructure
The Internet, Web, and Mobile Platform

Dr. Mufassra Naz

The Internet: Technology Background

• Internet
• Interconnected network of thousands of networks
and millions of computers
• Links businesses, educational institutions,
government agencies, and individuals
• World Wide Web (Web)
• One of the Internetʼs most popular services
• Provides access to billions, possibly trillions, of
Web pages

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Evolution of the Internet 1961–Present
• Innovation Phase, 1964–1974
• Creation of fundamental building blocks
• Packet switching, TCP/IP, Client-server
computing
• Institutionalization Phase, 1975–1995
• Large institutions (NSF, DoD) provide funding and
legitimization creating ARPARNET
• Commercialization Phase, 1995–present
• Private corporations take over, expand Internet
backbone and local service

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The Internet: Key Technology Concepts
• Internet defined as network that:
• Uses IP addressing
• Supports TCP/IP
• Provides services to users, in manner similar to
telephone system
• Three important concepts:
• Packet switching
• TCP/IP communications protocol
• Client/server computing

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Packet Switching
• Slices digital messages into packets
• Sends packets along different communication paths
as they become available
• Reassembles packets once they arrive at destination
• Uses routers
• Special purpose computers that interconnect the
computer networks that make up the Internet and
route packets
• Routing algorithms ensure packets take the best
available path toward their destination
• Less expensive, wasteful than circuit-switching
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Packet Switching

Dr. Mufassra Naz

TCP/IP
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• Establishes connections among sending and receiving Web
computers
• Handles assembly of packets at point of transmission, and
reassembly at receiving end
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• Provides the Internet’s addressing scheme to deliver packets
• Four TCP/IP architecture layers
• Network interface or link layer responsible for sending and
receiving packets
• Internet layer responsible for addressing and routing
• Transport layer handles host-to-host communication
• Application layer provides an array of applications to users
such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP.
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The TCP/IP Architecture and Protocol
Suite

Dr. Mufassra Naz

• The Application layer provides applications the ability to
access the services of the other layers and defines the
protocols (HTTP, FTP, SMTP) that applications use to
exchange data.
• The Transport layer (also known as the Host-to-Host
Transport layer) is responsible for providing the
Application layer with session and datagram
communication services.
• The core protocols of the Transport layer are Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol
(UDP).
• UDP is used when the amount of data to be transferred is
small (fit into a single packet), or when the overhead of
establishing a TCP connection is not desired
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• The Internet layer is responsible for addressing,
packaging, and routing functions.
• Some core protocols of the Internet layer are IP, and
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) responsible for
providing diagnostic functions and reporting errors due to
the unsuccessful delivery of IP packets.

• The Network Interface layer (also called the Network

Access layer) is responsible for placing TCP/IP packets on
the network and receiving them off the network.

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 Internet (IP) Addresses

• IPv4
• Internet protocol
• Approximately 4.3 billion IP addresses
• Nearly exhausted
• IPv6
• Newer version of IP to succeed version 4
• How many? 2^128
• 2^128 =
340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456
Addresses
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Routing Internet Messages: TCP/IP and
Packet Switching

Dr. Mufassra Naz

Domain Names, DNS, and URLs

• Domain name (.edu, .com, .org etc)

• IP address expressed in natural language
• Domain name system (DNS)
• Allows numeric IP addresses to be expressed in
natural language
• Uniform resource locator (URL)
• Address used by Web browser to identify location
of content on the Web
• For example: https://www.pu.edu.pk

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Client/Server Computing

• Powerful personal computers (clients) connected in

network with one or more servers
• Servers perform common functions for the clients
• Storing files
• Software applications
• Access to printers, and other peripherals

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Cloud Computing

• Firms and individuals obtain computing power and

software over Internet
• Example: Google Apps, Salesforce.com
• Fastest growing form of computing
• Radically reduces costs of:
• Building and operating Web sites
• Infrastructure, IT support
• Hardware, software

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 Internet Network Architecture
Backbone
• High-bandwidth fiber-optic cable networks
• Private networks owned by a variety of NSPs
(network service providers)
• Bandwidth: 155 Mbps–2.5 Gbps

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 Internet Network Architecture
CANs (campus area networks)
• LANs operating within a single organization that
leases Internet access directly from regional or
national carrier

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 Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
• Provide lowest level of service to individuals, small
businesses, some institutions
• Types of service
• Narrowband (dial-up)
• Broadband
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• Cable modem
• Satellite

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Intranets

• Intranet
• TCP/IP network located within a single
organization for communications and processing
• Used by private and government organizations
for internal networks
• All Internet applications can be used in private
intranets

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 Limitations of the Current Internet
• Bandwidth limitations
• Slow peak-hour service
• Quality of service limitations
• Latency – delays due to uneven flow of info packets
• Network architecture limitations
• Identical requests are processed individually (i.e..
Downloading a music track)
• Wired Internet
• Copper and expensive fiber-optic cables

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Wireless Internet Access Network
Technologies
Wi-Fi
• High-speed, fixed broadband wireless LAN
(WLAN)
• Wireless access point (“hot spots”)
• Limited range but inexpensive
Bluetooth
• Personal connectivity between devices and to
Internet
• Low-speed, short range connection

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Wi-Fi Networks

Dr. Mufassra Naz

Hypertext

• Text formatted with embedded links

• Links connect documents to one another, and to
other objects such as sound, video, or animation
files
• Uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and URLs
to locate resources on the Web
• Example URL:
http://megacorp.com/content/features/082602.html

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Markup Languages

• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

• Fixed set of pre-defined markup “tags” used to
format text
• Controls look and feel of Web pages
• HTML5 the newest version
• eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
• Designed to describe data and information
• Tags used are defined by user

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HTML

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XML

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RDF

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RDF

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 Web Servers and Web Clients
• Web server
• May refer to either Web server software or physical
server
• Specialized servers: Database servers, Ad servers,
and so on
• Web client
• Any computing device attached to the Internet that
is capable of making HTTP requests and displaying
HTML pages

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Web Browsers

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The Internet and Web: Features
• Features on which e-commerce is built:
• E-mail
• Instant messaging
• Search engines
• Online forums and chat
• Streaming media
• Cookies

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E-mail

• Most used application of the Internet

• Uses series of protocols for transferring messages
with text and attachments from one Internet user to
another
Instant Messaging
• Displays words typed on a computer almost
instantly, and recipients can respond immediately in
the same way

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Search Engines

• Identify Web pages that match queries based on one

or more techniques
• Keyword indexes, page ranking
• Also serve as:
• Shopping tools
• Advertising vehicles (search engine marketing)
• Tool within e-commerce sites
• Outside of e-mail, most commonly used Internet
activity

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How Google Works

Dr. Mufassra Naz

How Google Works

Dr. Mufassra Naz

Online Forums and Chat
• Online forum
• Also known as a message board, bulletin board,
discussion board, discussion group, board, or
forum
• Web application that enables Internet users to
communicate with one another, although not in
real time
• Members visit online forum to check for new
posts
• Online chat
• Similar to IM, but for multiple users
• Typically, users log into chat room
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Streaming Media

• Enables music, video, and other large files to be sent

to users in chunks so that when received and played,
file comes through uninterrupted
• Allows users to begin playing media files before file
is fully downloaded

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Cookies

• A small text file (up to 4KB) created by a website

that is stored in the user's computer either
temporarily for that session only or permanently on
the hard disk (persistent cookie).
• Cookies provide a way for the website to recognize
you and keep track of your preferences or personal
info like credit/debit card #’s
• Can help personalize Web site experience
• Can pose privacy threat

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Cookies
1. Session cookie
A session cookie, also known as an in-memory cookie, transient
cookie or non-persistent cookie, exists only in temporary memory while the
user navigates the website. Web browsers normally delete session cookies
when the user closes the browser
2. Persistent cookie
Instead of expiring when the web browser is closed as session cookies do,
a persistent cookie expires at a specific date or after a specific length of
time. For the persistent cookie's lifespan set by its creator, its information
will be transmitted to the server every time the user visits the website that it
belongs to, or every time the user views a resource belonging to that
website from another website
3. Secure cookie
A secure cookie can only be transmitted over an encrypted connection.
They cannot be transmitted over unencrypted connections.

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Mobile Apps

Use of mobile apps has exploded

• More than 60% of online shoppers are mobile
shoppers as well
Increased use/purchasing from tablets
Platforms
• iPhone/iPad (iOS), Android, Blackberry
App marketplaces
• Google Play, Appleʼs App Store, RIMʼs App
World, Windows Phone Marketplace

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Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share
(Worldwide)

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Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share
(Pakistan)

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