I. Introduction to E-Business and E-Commerce

Report
Our first topic in E-Business and E-Commerce was a general introduction to the subject matter. To begin with, E-Business is a broad term of which E-commerce is a part. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, E-commerce involves transactions, i.e. the buying of goods and services, while E-business includes this as well as servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, commercial trading, exchanging information, mobile technology, conducting electronic transactions within an organization, etc..

Businesses make use of EC to varying degrees. Dot.com’s were the first EC entrepreneurs, while brick-and-mortar companies took about 10 years to begin employing EC strategies. Now, there are a great number of companies online; some are pure EC and others are partial users. The dimensions of EC include the product, process and delivery agent or intermediary. For partial EC, one of more of these dimensions may remain physical while another/others is/are converted to digital. Small businesses are still hesitant to jump into EC.

E-business is bringing change to all industries, as it serves a whole variety of purposes: customer complaints and requests, intranets within companies, updates, newsletters, e-education, e-marketing, e-mail, virtual meeting, dynamic pricing, online banking, e-government, gaming, entertainment, online auctions, etc..

Reflection
E-Commerce offers innovative ways of meeting the challenges of running a successful business. I was surprised to learn that actual EC volume is as low as 5% today, and, no doubt, this will continue to grow as experts predict (750 to 999 million by 2008, according to Electronic Commerce 2006, p.12). Even that volume, however, leaves the greatest part of the world’s population without access to this technology or reluctant to make use of it.

Since Asia is in my area of interest, i noted the BBC’s article “China ‘yet to embrace e-commerce’” (Nov.27,2005) as a case in point here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4446278.stm). This article observes that, “while internet usage is developing rapidly in China, growth in e-commerce has been much slower. The survey also found that one-third of internet users do not use e-mail, preferring instant messaging instead.” Instant messaging is certainly the preferred mode of communication in the Philippines, too, where i’ve been working for the past ten years, and i suspect that this preference will, in the long run, slow down the penetration of EC there. I am interested, though, in learning how some of these barriers might be overcome and whether there is any potential for EC in microfinance, for example.

My own predominant use of the Internet until now has been for e-mailing, research and news updates. While i had heard vaguely about Dell and its unique approaches to product retail, i had no idea about the magnitude of its success and the creative extent of its use of EC. Having spent time this week researching a variety of websites, i am amazed at the products and services that are available, and i can appreciate the value of learning to analyze the business models that are being applied in each case. Related to this, “Wikipedia” provides a discussion on “Electronic commerce” that notes potentials, problems and aspects of customer experiences additional to those listed in Electronic Commerce 2006 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce). In my opinion, it is an interesting read.

I come now to the conclusion of my first ever blog entry! I appreciate the way this course already is empowering me to add my voice to the cyberspace community. In querying whether blogging has as yet made any inroads in the Philippine context, i came upon the article “Toral: Blog away” in the February 3, 2005 edition of Sun Star Cebu. There, Janette Toral remarks, “Blogging is gradually hitting the mainstream. In a country that fosters freedom of expression, blogs allow you to articulate your thoughts and get insights that are not limited to traditional media. The academe should utilize the power of blogs to encourage reading and to develop their students’ capability to express themselves” (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2005/02/03/bus/toral.blog.away.html). A teacher by profession myself, i affirm this as a step toward generating future use of and confidence in EC.