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4 Part 1 Introduction

Introduction

The Internet Organizations have now been applying technologies based on the Internet, World Wide Web
‘The Internet’ refers to the and wireless communications to transform their businesses for over 15 years since the cre-
physical network that
links computers across ation of the first web site (http://info.cern.ch) by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. Deploying
the globe. It consists of these technologies has offered many opportunities for innovative e-businesses to be created
the infrastructure of
network servers and based on new approaches to business. Table 1.1 highlights some of the best-known examples
communication links and in Activity 1.1 you can explore some of the reasons for success of these e-businesses.
between them that are For the author, e-business and e-commerce is an exciting area to be involved with, since
used to hold and
transport information many new opportunities and challenges arise yearly, monthly and even daily. Innovation is a
between the client PCs given, with the continuous introduction of new technologies, new business models and new
and web servers.
communications approaches. For example, Google innovates relentlessly. Its service has
World Wide Web developed a long way since 1998 (Figure 1.1) with billions of pages now indexed and other
(WWW) services such as web mail, pay per click adverts, analytics and social networks all part of its
The most common
technique for publishing offering. Complete Activity 1.1 or view Table 1.1 to see other examples of the rate at which
information on the new innovations occur.
Internet. It is accessed
through web browsers
which display web
pages of embedded
graphics and
HTML/XML-encoded
text.
Wireless
communications
Electronic transactions
and communications
conducted using
mobile devices such as
laptops, personal digital
assistants (PDAs) and
mobile phones (and
fixed access platforms)
with different forms of
wireless connection.

Google circa 1998
Figure 1.1 Source: Wayback machine archive:
http://web.archive.org/web/19981111183552/google.stanford.edu