Electronic Business, Electronic Commerce And Types

ELECTRONIC BUSINESS

E-business is a term which can be used for any kind of business or commercial transaction that includes sharing information across the internet. 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 business (e-business) refers to the use of the Web, Internet, intranets, extranets or some combination thereof to conduct business. E-business is similar to e-commerce, but it goes beyond the simple buying and selling of products and services online. E-business includes a much wider range of businesses processes, such as supply chain management, electronic order processing and customer relationship management. E-business processes, therefore, can help companies to operate more effectively and efficiently.

The term “e-business” was coined by IBM’s marketing and Internet team in 1996.

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE:-

E-commerce is a transaction of buying or selling online. Electronic commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.

Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web for at least one part of the transaction’s life cycle although it may also use other technologies such as e-mail. Typical e-commerce transactions include the purchase of online books (such as Amazon) and music purchases (music download in the form of digital distribution such as iTunes Store), and to a less extent, customized/personalized online liquor store inventory services.

There are three areas of e-commerce: –

(i)online retailing,

(ii)electric markets, and

(iii)online auctions. E-commerce is supported by electronic business.

TYPES OF E-COMMERCE:-

There are 6 basic types of e-commerce:-

1.Business-to-Business (B2B)

2.Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

3.Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

4.Consumer-to-Business (C2B)

5.Business-to-Administration (B2A)

6.Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

1. Business-to-Business (B2B):-

Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce encompasses all electronic transactions of goods or services conducted ​​between companies. Producers and traditional commerce wholesalers typically operate with this type of electronic commerce.

                                      FIGURE:- B2B COMMUNICATION.

2. Business-to-Consumer (B2C):-

The Business-to-Consumer type of e-commerce is distinguished by the establishment of electronic business relationships between businesses and final consumers. It corresponds to the retail section of e-commerce, where traditional retail trade normally operates.

These types of relationships can be easier and more dynamic, but also more sporadic or discontinued. This type of commerce has developed greatly, due to the advent of the web, and there are already many virtual stores and malls on the Internet, which sell all kinds of consumer goods, such as computers, software, books, shoes, cars, food, financial products, digital publications, etc.

                                       FIGURE:- B2C COMMUNICATION.

3. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C):-

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) type e-commerce encompasses all electronic transactions of goods or services conducted ​​between consumers. Generally, these transactions are conducted through a third party, which provides the online platform where the transactions are actually carried out.

                                          FIGURE:- C2C COMMUNICATION.

4. Consumer-to-Business (C2B):-

In C2B there is a complete reversal of the traditional sense of exchanging goods. This type of e-commerce is very common in crowdsourcing based projects. A large number of individuals make their services or products available for purchase for companies seeking precisely these types of services or products.

Examples of such practices are the sites where designers present several proposals for a company logo and where only one of them is selected and effectively purchased. Another platform that is very common in this type of commerce are the markets that sell royalty-free photographs, images, media and design elements, such as iStockphoto.

                         FIGURE:- C2B COMMUNICATION.

5. Business-to-Administration (B2A):-

This part of e-commerce encompasses all transactions conducted online between companies and public administration. This is an area that involves a large amount and a variety of services, particularly in areas such as fiscal, social security, employment, legal documents and registers, etc. These types of services have increased considerably in recent years with investments made in e-government.

                                FIGURE:- B2A/C2A COMMUNICATION.

6. Consumer-to-Administration (C2A):-

The Consumer-to-Administration model encompasses all electronic transactions conducted between individuals and public administration.

Examples of applications include:

Education – disseminating information, distance learning, etc.

Social Security – through the distribution of information, making payments, etc.

Taxes – filing tax returns, payments, etc.

Health – appointments, information about illnesses, payment of health services, etc.

Both models involving Public Administration (B2A and C2A) are strongly associated to the idea of efficiency and easy usability of the services provided to citizens by the government, with the support of information and communication technologies.