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The Business of E-Commerce
Book

The Business of E-Commerce

From Corporate Strategy to Technology (Breakthroughs in Application Development)

Paul May
Cambridge UP, 2000

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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

This book is an e-commerce primer. Although its material can seem dated (which happens quickly in this environment), the book is valuable for those who want a historical overview of Internet commerce and technology. Yes, e-commerce has changed so much so quickly that any analysis of Peapod, Streamline, and other e-tailers may seem naïve. But Paul May’s discussion of the movement from fat to thin client architecture is interesting and relevant. (One only wishes that the WAP discussion went further!) While this book may not be for every executive or change leader, getAbstract recommends it to marketing directors as a valuable bridge between business and technology. It also can benefit those who want a strong, but not dauntingly deep, technical overview.

Take-Aways

  • Four types of change drive the rush towards e-commerce: individualization, virtualization, globalization and intellectualization.
  • Intellectualization reflects the increasing growth of an enterprise’s intangible and tangible knowledge assets.
  • E-commerce’s origins can be traced back to Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), established more than 30 years ago.

About the Author

Paul May is a graduate of Oxford University and City University, and the founder of Versita, a U.K. e-business consulting company. He also founded Avenida Technologies, a U.K. Java product and services company. He has nine years of experience as a business technology consultant with top international companies.

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