Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
reducing the use of the classified pages of a newspaper to advertise and sell personal items.
Many people make a living out of selling items on auction Web sites.
C2C is highly popular among college students because they represent a large community
of low-income people in the same geographical region who watch for values. Universities
often set up Web sites for students to sell textbooks and other items to other students.
EachNet.com trains students on how to open online stores in monthly promotions in uni-
versities across China. Students are the most active traders, though they have low average
buying power. Still, “it indicates the huge market potential out there when the young users
grow up and are able to pay more,” according to Song Xing, an analyst with Analysys, a global
telecommunications consultancy and research firm.
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e-Government
e-Government
is the use of information and communications technology to simplify the
sharing of information, speed formerly paper-based processes, and improve the relation-
ship between citizens and government. Government-to-consumer (G2C), government-to-
business (G2B), and government-to-government (G2G) are all forms of e-Government, each
with different applications.
Citizens can use G2C applications to submit their state and federal tax returns online,
renew auto licenses, apply for student loans, and make campaign contributions. Information
about the 2008 economic stimulus payments that were sent to over 130 million taxpayers
was available on the IRS Web site for months before the rebates were mailed out.
G2B applications support the purchase of materials and services from private industry
by government procurement offices, enable firms to bid on government contracts, and help
businesses receive current government regulations related to their operations. Business.gov
allows businesses to access information about laws and regulations and relevant forms needed
to comply with federal requirements for their business.
G2G applications are designed to improve communications among the various levels of
government. For example, the E-Vital initiative establishes common electronic processes for
federal and state agencies to collect, process, analyze, verify, and share death record infor-
mation. Geospatial One-Stop's Web portal, GeoData.gov, makes it easier, faster, and less
expensive to find, share, and access geospatial information for all levels of government.
The next section describes a basic model that supports products for purchase via
e-commerce methods.
e-Government
The use of information and
communications technology to
simplify the sharing of information,
speed formerly paper-based
processes, and improve the
relationship between citizens and
government.
Multistage Model for E-Commerce
A successful e-commerce system must address the many stages that consumers experience in
the sales life cycle. At the heart of any e-commerce system is the user's ability to search for
and identify items for sale; select those items and negotiate prices, terms of payment, and
delivery date; send an order to the vendor to purchase the items; pay for the product or service;
obtain product delivery; and receive after-sales support. Figure 8.1 shows how e-commerce
can support each of these stages. Product delivery can involve tangible goods delivered in a
traditional form (e.g., clothing delivered via a package service) or goods and services delivered
electronically (e.g., software downloaded over the Internet).
Search and Identification
An employee ordering parts for a storeroom at a manufacturing plant would follow the steps
shown in Figure 8.1. Such a storeroom stocks a wide range of office supplies, spare parts, and
maintenance supplies. The employee prepares a list of needed items—for example, fasteners,
piping, and plastic tubing. Typically, for each item carried in the storeroom, a corporate
buyer has already identified a preferred supplier based on the vendor's price competitiveness,
level of service, quality of products, and speed of delivery. The employee then logs on to the
Internet and goes to the Web site of the preferred supplier.
From the supplier's home page, the employee can access a product catalog and browse
until finding the items that meet the storeroom's specifications. The employee fills out a
request-for-quotation form by entering the item codes and quantities needed. When the
