What do we mean by e-business?   Why is the Internet different from other computer and network technologies?    Why should one care about electronic business?    What is the electronic marketplace?    How much will it cost my company to set up an e-business web site?   How does e-Business over the Internet differ from traditional Business?   What are the e-business options for business?   How important is my own domain name   electronic payment systems

Why should one care about electronic business?

Participants in the electronic marketplace are not limited to so-called digital product companies such as those in publishing, software, entertainment and information industries. The Digital Age and the digital revolution affect all of us by virtue of their process innovations. At the least, through WebTV and digital television, the way we watch TV news and entertainment programs will change. Changes in telecommunication will affect the way we receive information, product announcements, orders, etc. As phones, fax machines, copiers, PCs and printers have become essential ingredients in doing business, so will e-mails, Web sites, and integrated digital communications and computing.

While today's office business machines are not integrated (e.g. faxed orders have to be typed in on computers), the much-talked-about "convergence" will drive all this equipment into one digital platform, whether it be a computer connected to the Internet and intranets, or a new kind of device capable of interacting with other devices, because that device will prove to be more efficient and productive. (Although, will it be easier to use? That depends on how developers and industry leaders promote interoperability and standardization.)