Understanding Electronic Commerce (Strategic Technology Series)

Rating:
Summary: Basic, Basic, Basic
Review: 3 stars may have been generous for this title. This book was released in 1997, which probably means it's over a decade old in IT years. This book provides the most basic of introductions to the whole idea of e-commerce. I think this book is good for a certain type of person. If you fit this description, you will benefit by reading it. You obviously have to be interested in learning e-commerce. Maybe you know what they are, but you shouldn't be able to give in-depth descriptions of protocols, networking, security or encryption. The case studies were disappointing. I only really liked the Gateway one. Again, very outdated. The best part of the book has to be the diagrams. I'm a Master's IT candidate and they even help me. Simple with icons to represent a supplier or buyer, it's the easiest way to describe a situation (like electronic processing using Verisign) without giving someone a long, confusing speech on each step. One final warning, while this book covers all these topics and concepts, all it really does it provide definitions of them and moves on to the next one. Perhaps information overload?

Rating:
Summary: Offers Clear Vision Of The World Of Electronic Commerce!
Review:      David Kosiur has written Understanding Electronic Commerce to dispel some of the mystery of how online business transactions are made and how they can impact online businesses today. This book is an eye-opener that provides an inside view of the electronic commerce industry. It offers readers clear vision of how they can put this technology to effective use within a business setting.      The author points out a number of important considerations that Web developers and online businesses must weigh in order to conduct successful online commerce. Creative Website design, online purchasing, electronic transferring of funds, foreign language options, marketing methods, and customer privacy issues are examples. Carefully consider that many prospective customers are still concerned about the possibility of something happening to them online. The author points out that there are various means that can be employed to prevent or minimize occurrences of online fraud. He offers a comparison of the more popular encryption methods available for use today.      The author provides readers with innovative case studies and other examples of actual electronic business world operations. Readers are given strategies behind the success of Gateway 2000's Website that offers custom online configuration and purchasing of computer systems, online technical support, drivers, and a wealth of other helpful information. Another case study demonstrates the high-tech approach taken by Fruit of the Loom to tie together their network of distributors. Servers, software, and a lot of planning and programming took place to bring that project together!      Anyone who has read this book will come away with the reality that the electronic commerce landscape is changing at a rapid pace. A number of companies are partnering to accomplish their business goals. Businesses that refuse to adapt in these changing times face the possibility of being left behind. Don't let this happen to you. Highly recommended for those seriously planning to launch a new business or to revitalize an existing one!

Rating:
Summary: Clear introduction into the possibilities of e-commerce
Review: David Kosiur is a networking consultant and a regular contributor to PC Week, Sunworld Online, Inter@ctive Week, and ZD Internet Magazine. This book consists of 13 chapters and an excellent glossary at the end. The book provides a clear introduction into the various possibilities of electronic commerce (e-commerce).

Although most people think e-commerce/Internet is still very young, it has been around since the 1960s. In Chapter 1, the author starts with a short historic review of electronic commerce and what it is. "To many, electronic commerce is defined as buying and selling of products and services over the Internet, but there are many more aspects." The author also introduces a very useful comparison between traditional and electronic business transactions. Chapter 2 - The Importance of the Internet - discusses the network infrastructure of the Internet, the various protocols (TCP/IP, application protocols), and other possible networks (intranet, shared data!bases, extranet). In Chapter 3, the authors discusses how financial transactions (can) take place on the Internet, the requirements of payment systems, types of electronic payments, and the tools for implementation. Chapter 4 - Security and Electronic Commerce - is for many people probably the most boring one, but for others it is essential. Kosiur introduces an overview of cryptographic background and then discusses the principal standards to secure the Internet for electronic commerce.

Chapter 5 - Consumer and Busines Markets - is really part 2 of the book. The author now really starts to introduce how business can use the various available technologies to actually conduct electronic commerce. Chapters 6 to 11 introduce different case-studies which are build on this chapter. Chapter 6 uses Gateway, the supplier of personal computers, as an example company to show how companies can offer products on the Internet. Chapter 7 introduces Nets Inc.'s approach to building a !marketplace of business by facilitating the transacitons between buyers and sellers. Chapter 8 shows how underwear business Fruit of the Loom integrated their distribution chain. Chapter 9 explains how companies can build an Online catalog. Chapter 10 provides examples of electronic customer support, while Chapter 11 explains the possibility of the virtual factory.

Chapter 12 - Strategies for Electronic Commerce - provides excellent guidance for integrating electronic commerce into existing businesses, whereby it "should focus on information - not only its collection and dissemination, but also its use in marketing and as a salable product in and of itself." The author uses the final chapter, Chapter 13 - The Future of Electronic Commerce - to provide his personal view on the future of electronic commerce. Basically, what is happening right now (2000/2001).

I gave the book a 3 star-rating since the book is outdated in some areas (the book was written in 1997). So!me of his examples are now outdated and other applications do not exist anymore. The author should really take some time to update the book and it would be worth 4 stars instead. But apart from this the book is an useful clear introduction to many people who have no experience with e-commerce and the Internet.

Rating:
Summary: Wanna know more about e-commerce, get it now.
Review: Hey, it's Microsoft Press. This was the first place that you could get a glimpse of how Microsoft might be viewing the e-commerce space from a business perspective. Kosiur is an excellent writer - very clear and concise. The graphics are excellent summaries for the text. The case studies are lightweight but provocative. Business managers can read this as a starting point before wading into the flood of new books on e-commerce.

Rating:
Summary: Great overview
Review: I will preface by saying that the book is outdated(i.e., referring to the typical fastest modem speed in homes as 14.4) but nothing that any knowledgeable person couldn't insert more current info.

Anyway...the book is excellent for providing an overview of E-commerce...it is a very easy read, could be finished in a day or two...the best part may be the case studies at the end. They describe the situation of each company/website and detail how they developed a solution for furthering E-commerce. It even describes what kind of system hardware/software utilized.

I strongly recommend you buy this book. Other books could provide more detailed, supplemental info.

Rating:
Summary: Good for Beginner
Review: If you dont know anything about ecommerce. This book will help you understand the whole picture of the ecommerce. (The payment and security sessions are quite useful for beginner) But if you are seeking book about technical implementation, this book are too simple for you. To sum up, it is a good book for who dont know anything about ebusiness. Especially, the payment and security sections

Rating:
Summary: A well-designed technical overview of e-commerce functions.
Review: Kosiur's book is a well-designed, clear introduction to e-commerce functionality and transaction processing. It is physically attractive, nicely illustrated, and is at its best dealing with the technical issues in the field.

Rating:
Summary: Good Intro to E-Commerce
Review: This book is a great introduction for the technology manager who is developing a strategy for bringing his or her business onto the Web. It covers many technology topics, including financial transactions and security. It is most valuable, however, because it presents a wide range of electronic commerce examples, from the typical on-lin consumer product catalogues to complex supply chain integration.