Page 7 - Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce

Preface vii

Real-World Orientation

Extensive, vivid examples from large corporations, small businesses, governments, and not-
for- profit agencies from all over the world make concepts come alive. These examples show
students the capabilities of EC, its cost and justification, and the innovative ways real corpora-
tions are using EC in their operations. Examples cover both large and small (SME)
companies.

Solid Theoretical Background

Throughout the book, we present the theoretical foundations necessary for understanding EC,
ranging from consumer behavior to the theory of marketing and competition. Furthermore, we
provide website resources, many exercises, and extensive references to supplement the theo-
retical presentations.

Most Current Cutting-Edge Topics

The book presents the most current topics related to EC, as evidenced by the many 2014–2016
citations. Topics such as Internet of Thing, augmented reality, drones, robotics, supply chain
systems, collaborative commerce, mobile commerce, and EC security are presented from the
theoretical point of view as well as from the application side.

Integrated Systems

In contrast to other books that highlight isolated Internet-based systems, we emphasize those
systems that support the enterprise and supply chain management. Intra- and interorganiza-
tional systems are highlighted as are the latest innovations in global EC and in Web-based
applications.

Global Perspective

The importance of global competition, partnerships, and trade is increasing rapidly. EC facili-
tates export and import, the management of multinational companies, and electronic trading
around the globe. International examples are provided throughout the book including many
from developing countries.

Online Support

More than 40 files are available online to supplement the text material. These include files on
generic topics such as data mining and intranets, cases, technically oriented text, and much
more.

Links

There are hundreds of links to Internet resources so learners can get more details and further
investigate related topics.