Understanding Electronic Commerce

Book excerpt: In five years or less, analysts say, sales transactions on the Internet will total $100 billion annually. In short, online commerce is big and it's coming fast - and here's the book that shows you how to understand and profit from it. This invaluable overview includes: basics - how electronic commerce works in the real world; strategies - the mind set of companies that will get the most from electronic commerce; consumer applications - credit cards, digital money, and more; business applications - purchase orders, invoices, and other large transactions; case studiesinsightful snapshots of electronic commerce innovatively applied; security - its paramount importance and the five things it requires; and the future - from electronic agents to microcash and microtransactions. This book is for technology-savvy executives, group managers, entrepreneurs, corporate planners, information systems professionals, and anyone else who wants to master the new technology.