Global Worldwide communication, anywhere at anytime

Electronic Information technologies and related networks

Commerce Exchanging goods; services and information

• using the Internet to learn more about a product before driving to the store to purchase it;
• placing an order online and having the product physically shipped to the front door;
• ordering and receiving software, music or a video without ever leaving the house;
• participating in a degree program from a college hundreds of miles away; or
• renewing a driver's license at a kiosk on the corner.

Businesses. . .

• custom designing clothing to customers' dimensions provided online;
• managing inventory using barcode readers from remote locations to send data to a central
• providing company and product information, and technical assistance online all day and all night;
• creating fully automated, online systems for ordering products and services from vendors and suppliers; or
• allowing consumers and businesses to order and receive products and services safely and securely online.

Government and Other Public Service Organizations. . .

• posting information online to inform citizens and facilitate interactions;
• collecting income tax filings via the Internet;
• fielding Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and other procurement requirements online;
• offering remote instruction to students around the country and around the world; or
• integrating technology and Internet-based curriculum components into daily classroom activities.

Electronic commerce will reach about $350 billion by 2002, from an estimated $22 billion this year. (Forrester Research, Inc. as reported in Business Week, June 22, 1998) Doing business via the Net results in cost savings of about 5% to 10% of sales. (Forrester Research, Inc. as reporteD in Business Week, June 22, 1998) Business Week estimates that doing business on the Internet could boost the nation's gross domestic product by $10-$20 billion annually by 2002. (Business Week, June 22, 1998) Forty-five percent of U.S. households now own a PC, while 60% of homes with children have PCs. (Computer Intelligence as reported in the Wall Street Journal, March 11, 1998) Nearly one-third of online households made Net purchases in the last six months, up 50% from a year ago. (Odyssey as reported in Business Week, June 22, 1998)

Goods and services sold online to U.S. and European consumers this year will top $5.1 billion - more than double the 1997 figure. (Forrester Research, Inc. as reported in Business Week, June 22, 1998) By the close of 1997, the number of profitable websites - both for consumers and inter-business transactions - jumped to 46%, ending three years of stagnation at 30%. An additional 81% of survey respondents expect to be profitable in a year or two. (Activ Media as reported in Business Week, June 22, 1998) Thirty-seven percent of U.S. small businesses (2.6 million) now conduct business online. More than one-quarter of these attribute sales increases to their presence online. Another 1 million are likely to come online in 1998. (Cyber Dialogue/C+C Data, March 31, 1998) META Group Intranet study shows 80% of companies with positive return on investment of intranet applications. With an annualized return of 38%, it seems the quantifiable benefits of an intranet application exceed the cost of the implementation. (Neptune Group International, Inc., October, 1997)