GOIN oe emeesssets nepmennar ses : E-Business Infrastructures ‘This module covers various aspects of e-business infrastructures, from the Internet technology to managing e-business infrastructures, Learning Objectives “After completing this module, the student should be able to: ‘© Outline the hardware and software technologies used to build an e- ‘business infrastructure within an organization and with its partners ‘© Outline the hardware and software requirements necessary to enable employee access to the Internet and hosting of e-commerce services. Introduction Defining an adequate technology infrastructure is vital to all companies adopting e-business. The infrastructure direct affects the quality of service experienced by users of the systems in terms of speed and responsiveness, The e-business services provided through a standardized infrastructure also determine the capability of an organization to compete ‘through differentiating itselfin the marketplace. E-business Infrastructure ‘The architecture of hardware, software, content and data used to deliver e-business services to employees, customers and partners. E-business infrastructure refers to the combination of hardware such as servers and client PCs in an organization, the network used to link ‘his hardware and the software applications used to deliver services to ‘workers within the e-business and also to its partners and customers. Infrastructure also includes the architecture of the networks, hardware and software and where itis located. Course Moduleintone dal arson (ita, cette cata Ave layer model ofe busines nacre Kampas (2000) describes an altemative five-level infrastructure model of ‘what he refers to as ‘the information system function chain's 1 Storage/physical. Memory and disk hardware components 2 Processing. Computation and logic provided by the processor 3 Infrastructure. This refers to the human and external interfaces and also the network, referred to as ‘extrastructure’ 4 Application/content. This is the data processed by the application into information. 5 intelligence, Additional computer-based logic that transforms information tokmowedge.GOLNEloeg saeressrens apenas : ‘ere yn ‘eine oper se sooner ‘erro eo on deo ahibe guy eeeveo Reuter abuse ‘nape? ‘sources, omc cre ol ate oes ascabrs? ta aa sourD at teow? Fast Fact Motes ineoaton nego oe chwesoutne “iasy pte The mogesanatenea Wich cnn patted we Mobeni Sa ‘ope 6. rn ce Fea oe Si eae emg ‘marae ac ay {hang eupsoae so Ssrictowre sre rept? ow dea manage moze scat Stan tata as tne ag teiteldonat ‘helmet erent hepa Internet Technology Internet “The Inemmet refer to the plyecal nebootk that links compte across the globe. It consists of the infrastructure of network servers and ommuiteaton links benteen them thot are teed to sald and Wanspert {nfrmaton benvsen the chert computes and web cersClient/server The client/server architecture consists of client computers, such as PCs, sharing resources such as a database stored on a more powerful server computer. Poy and never irasvumuecomponens ofthe Iaret Figures shows how the client computers within homes and businesses are connected to the Internet via local Internet service providers (ISPs) which, in turn, are linked to larger ISPs with connection to the major national and international infrastructure or backbones which are managed by commercial organizations such as AT&T, UUNET and Verizon, Internet Service Provider (ISP) ‘A provider providing home or business users with a connection to access the Internet. They can also host web-based applications. Backbones High-speed communications links used to enable Internet communications across a country and internationally, Hosting of web sites and e-business services ‘While it is possible for companies to manage their own services by setting up web servers within their own company aifces, or to use their ISP,ONLINE] ogg pBusessSyams Delpmeny mT 528 s Education it is common practice to use a specialist hosting provider to manage this Hosting provider ‘A service provider that manages the server used to host an organization web site and its connection fo the Intemet backoones. ‘The Internet timeline ‘The Intemet is only the latest of a series of developments in the way ‘that the human race has used technology to disseminate information, Kampas (2000) identifies ten stages that are part of five ‘megawaves’ of change. The first six stages are summarized in the table below. Its evident ‘hat many of the major advances in the use of information have happened ‘within the last hundred years. oe oem meer Hier ma et 2 Msp: Teter pct ete tear reg rt tater Seige ana Soca come ‘iaswren ——facombon er ‘Sciam Ssxsagsfasranerin the Gssminationoftwommaton Intranets and extranets Intranets are used extensively for supporting sell-side e-commerce from ‘within the marketing function. They are also used to support core supply- chain management activities. A marketing intranet has the following advantages: ‘+ Reduced product lifecycles - as information on product development ‘and marketing campaigns is rationalized we can get products to ‘market faster. Reduced costs through higher productivity, and savings on hard copy. Better customer service - responsive and personalized support with staff accessing customers over the web.‘+ Distribution of information through remote offices nationally or globally. Intranets are also used for internal marketing communications since they can include the following types of information: * Staff phone directories; Staff procedures or quality manuals: ‘© Information for agents such as product specifications, current list and discounted prices, competitor information, factory schedules, and stocking levels, all of which normally have to be updated frequently and can be costiy: ‘© Staff bulletin or newslette + Training courses. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) ‘The sum of all cost elements of managing information systems for end-users, including purchase, support and maintenance. In addition to these ‘classical’ uses of intranets, intranet developer Odyssey (iowwrodyssey-icom) identifies some less common intranet applications ‘which involve internal communications: 1 Employee incentive scheme. Companies reward the best employees according to anonymous voting by their peers. At the end of each quarter. prizes suchas DVD players and televisions are awarded. 2 Text messaging. A distribution company keeps in touch with its sales staff and drivers through enabling staff to contact colleagues who are ‘on the road’ using SMS text messaging, SMS (Short Message Services) The formal name for text messaging 3 Holiday booking. A workflow system forwards holiday requests to the relevant manager and informs the applicant automatically. Team managers can also check on the intranet when people within their group have booked holidays. 4 Resource booking. Viewing and making bookings of meeting rooms is another simple application that can save time. 5 News screen, Displaying the company’s latest news and most recent achievements on a dedicated screen can give a focal point to a waiting room or foyer area. 6 Integrated external resources. Route planning, mapping or traffic news sites can be integrated into the intranet to save time for staff. One example of this is a housing authority that stores its list of properties on the intranet. Each‘EBusiness Infrastrucnares SB ONLINE) o¢g stuset: ystems Beene S24 Grats loes ? course Module house hasa liketo a mapping site (eg. Multimap worwanltimap.com)sshich vwilleisplay the Tocaton ofthe property based oa tsposicode) A sutable tecanology 1s also required to enable staff o manage ther own, Content. For arg sites itis not practical forall changes to wreo content to be gent through fo a webmaster to update the pages, The enly practical method {sto provide journalss and other content rovicers with arcess toa system, ‘which allows them to add and edit web pages Such a system is known as 2 content management system (CMS). Content Management System (CMS) Software used to manage creation, acting and review of web-based content, Extranet applications Although an extranet may sound complex from 2 user pent of view it ss suaigutorvrard If you nave vought a book or CD online and have been issued with 2 username and pessword to access your aecaunt then you have lured an estranct. Thie ie a consumer extranet. Entranets are alzo used te ‘provide otline services wich are rescte te business Customers. ‘ioc etal (2000) seferte these business benefits ofan extranet: 1 Infrmetion sharing insecure ewirormert. formation needed to support thus through 2 range of bushess parters ean be shared sing an strait Vesig’ et (2000) give the example of advertising agency Saath Shing an entrabet to alow thar advertnere fo aceeor att savertsing Imatral during 2 project information for suppliers ls ofen stared by providing login toa database which shows demardfor products. “There are five Key questions that need to be asked when reviewing an cxisting ectranet or when ceatinga new extranet 1 are the levels of usope sufcien:? Extranets require a. substantial Jnvesiment, but a with 2 pele facing website, efforts ned to be made fe enowurage usage sie we are asting he users f the secs to change thelr Denavir. isin the organiaatonsiterest to encourage Uage fo achieve 2 return on ther invectwent and achieve the cost singe and sfbcencer Intended: Take th ceample ef the Standard Lifellazone refered to dove Many irancal advisers maybe comfortable with thei existing way ofseling duct usm the phone dod pest Education wil be nesded to exglan the benefits of the extant and incentives such as increased commission may ahobs used2 Ist effective and efficient? Controls must be put in place to assess how well it is working and improve its performance. Return on investment should be assessed, For example, visitor's levels can be measured for different types of audiences and the level of usage for accessing different types of information can be assessed. The direct and indirect cost savings achieved through each extranet transaction can be calculated to help assess effectiveness. For example, 3M, manufacturer of many products including office produets such as Post-it notes, has an extranet to connect te the office supply retailers. Retailers download the latest price lists and promotional information such as product pictures. Each digital download represents a significant saving in comparison to shipping physical items to the retailer, 3 Who has ownership of the extranet? Functions with an interest im an extranet include IT (technical infrastructure), Finance (setting payments and exchanging purchase orders and invoices), Marketing (providing marketing materials and sales data to distributors or providing services to customers) and Operations Management (exchanging information about inventory). Clearly the needs of these different parties must be resolved and management controls established. 4 What are the levels of service quality? Since an extranet will become a vital part of an organization's operating process, a problem with the speed or availability of the extranet could cause loss of a lot of money; it is arguably more important than the public-facing Internet site. 5 Js the quality of the information adequate? The most important attributes of information quality is that it is up-to-date and accurate. Viosky et al. (2000) point out the importance of liability if information is inaccurate or the extranet crashes. To enable different applications on the intranet to communicate, middleware is used by systems integrators to create links between organizational applications or between different members of a supply chain, Middleware Software used to facilitate communications between business applications including data transfer and control. This middleware technology ‘that is used to connect together different business applications and their underlying databases across extranets is now also referred to as is rise application integration (EAI) (Internetivorld, 1999). Such applications include a sales-order processing system and a warehousing system. It now also includes software programs from different organizations, Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Software used to facilitate communications between business applications including data transfer and control. Firewalls Firewalls are necessary when creating an intranet or extranet to ensure that outside access to confidential information does not occur.BOOLINE cg szemeesrenetetomensnrse : education O&F EBusiees infrestucures ‘A specialized software application mounted on a server atthe point ‘where the company is connected to the Internet. Its purpose isto prevent unauthorized access into the company from outsiders. Encouraging use of intranets and extranets Athough intranets and extransts have many benefits for the busness, they often represent a change to exxsting methods of working for business people. monn | = eames = acme ‘Common warning signs identified in the KM Colum: (2002) are ‘© Staffusage ofthe intranet is low, and not growing. ‘© Themsjority of content is out-of-date. ncomplete or inaccurste, Course ModuleWeb Technology ‘The intranet is very inconsistent in appearance, particularly across sections managed by different groups. Almost all information on the intranet is reference material, not news or recent updates, Most sections of the intranet are used solely to publicize the existence of the business groups within the organization, ‘The World Wide Web, or ‘web’ for short, has proved so successful since it provides a standard method for exchanging and publishing information on the Intemet. The main standard document format is, which can be thought of as similar to a word-processing format such as that used for Microsoft Word documents. This standard has been widely adopted since: it offers hyperlinks which allow users to move readily from one document or web site to another - the process known as ‘surfing’; HTML supports wide range of formatting, making documents easy to read on different access devices. It iS the combination of web browsers and HTML that has proved so successful in establishing widespread business use of the Internet The use of these tools provides 2 range of benefits including: (© It fs easy to use since navigation between documents is ‘enabled by clicking on hyperlinks or images. This soon ‘becomes a very intuitive way of navigation which is similar across all web sites and applications: © Interactivity is supported by web forms which enable discussions through social networks and purchase on e- ‘commerce sites; © Tkcan provide a graphical environment supporting multimedia ‘which is popular with users and gives a visual medium for advertising; © The standardization of tools and growth in demand means information can be exchanged with many businesses and ‘consumers; © Flexibility in the style of designs and tailoring them for using ‘on different access devices from desktop computers to wireless devices; © Browser capabilities are extensible through the use of browser plug-ins, extensions and toolbars which enable users to ‘access standard services. ‘World Wide Web (WWW) ‘The most common technique for publishing information on the Internet, Ibis accessed through web browsers which display web pages of embedded graphics and HTML/XML-encoded text.GOOLE oeg suse syens Deron as a ‘Education| Course Module Business Infrastructures Hyperlink A method of moving between one web site page and another, indicated to the user by an image or text highlighted by underlining and/or a different color. Browserplug-in An add-on program to a web browser, providing extra funcionality such as animation. Browser extensions ‘The capability ofa browser to add new services through new add-ons or plug-ins or customizing through different visual themes, particularly used ‘im Mozilla Firefox browser. ‘Web browsers and servers Web browsers are software such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox which we use to access the information on the WWW that is stored onweb servers. Web servers are used to store, manage and supply the information on ‘the WWW. The main web browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox with the apple Safari broviser and Google Chrome having relatively small market share, Browsers display the text and graphics accessed from web sites and provide the interactions. Browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer provide an easy method of accessing and viewing information stored as web documents on different Web servers Store and present the web pages accessed by web browsers. Static web page ‘Apage on the web server that isinvariant. Dynamically created web page ‘A page that is created in real time, often with reference to a database query, in response toa user request.Web opplication frameworks A standard programming framework based on reusable library functions for creating dynamic web sites though 3 programming language. ‘Web application server ‘A cilection of software processes which is accessed by a standard programming terface (API) of 2 web applcation Framework to serve dmamic website functionality in response to requests received from ‘browsers. They are designed to manage mukiple requests from multiple ‘uzore and wil provide load balancing to support high volumes of uzsge, ‘Transactionlog files Awweb-server file that resords all page requests. Web analytics system Information on visitor volumes, scurces and pages visted are analyzed through web analyces systems. itp son sonmuieton a Une eats pare Tap oat conn rea am, ~~ 90 J npr ‘eoraaion chang Wives avb rover andaneboene Browser compatibility Cross‘browser compatibility is the capzblity of a sit to render and deliver mtracsaty comecty in diferent Versons of web browsers in partclar the most popular browsers: Microtof fnternet Explorer Moailla infos Apple Seat ‘abd Google Carome|Web application frameworks ‘A standard programming framework based on reusible Wbrary functions for creating dynamic web sites through a prograrmmg language. ‘Web application server ‘A callection of software processes wich ic acceszed by a ctandard programming interfece (API) of a web application framework to core dynamic weosite funcionalty in reepons to requaste revoived from ‘broweore, They are designed to manage multple requecte from mmuluple ‘users and wil provide lead balancing te support high volumes of usage, ‘Transaction log files “Aveb-server fle that records all age requests. Webanalytics system Information on visitor volumes, sources and pages visited are analyzed through web analytics ystems hip sor” conmuntsten ‘sever rots page recused _ Fast Fact _ Toncton —_vuuang Sanna ‘Sone gommcanes 0 ezrman etangeeneen oo mowserancavenserer Browser compatibility Cross‘orowser compatiblity isthe capability ofa site to render and ever interacuviy correctly in different versions of web browsers, in particular the mos: popular Browsers (2 Microsof: Internet Explorer (© Mozilla Firefox © applesaian 12 aid Google Chrome:Ss ONLINE| ogg ezunssysame Dealopmn/nnr ee GOHLGIOES ests hntastnctnes 1s Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds Blog, news or other content is published by an XML standard and syndicated for other sites or read by users in RSS reader software services. Now usually stortened to ‘fed eg, news feed or sports feed. Internet-access software applications Over its lifetime, many software tools have been developed to help find, send and receive information across the Internet Web browsers used to aecens the Werld Wide Web are the latest ofthese applications,Fast Pact vee ‘nina it ere et eden ern mah FSieige roman bemree och rt ot ie feyierneuenama rman gta et dppuesioss tire erat Blogs and blogging “Blogs (ove logs) give an eazy method of regulary publishing wed pages which aro beet deconbed a onlin journals uric or news er events {Esungs. Many blogs peorie commentary er sews on particular subjecs thers funtionas more personal enlne lanes ‘logs an online diary or news source prepared by an indnidal ora soup of people. From weblog. Services to enable blogging ‘here ate many fee services which enable anyone to Hog (fr evamole ve bloggeccom hich was purdise by Google ln 2003), Blogs ‘vere maationallyacteseed through cline fos (eg. wile ravblglsecon) or sfnvare readers (anmnasteader om} tut wets ‘nenpocstedittomalnsveam seevarein 2005-6tutes Sptms Derdopnen/sn #24 BOOKING od sheer yen peter 8 ‘Tagging and folksonomies A defining characteristic of Web 2.0 closely related to blogs is ‘tagging’ whereby users add their own meta-data to content they produce, consume and share, Tagging Users or web page creators categorize content on a site through adding descriptive terms. A common approach in blog posts, Folksonomy A contraction of folktaxonomy’, a method of classifying content based on tagging that has no hierarchy, i, without parent-child relationships) Folksonomies are flat (that is, they have no hierarchy, and show no parent-child relationships) and, critically, are completely uncontrolled. Electronic mail or e-mail E-mail received from outside the organization such as customer and supplier enquiries. Controls for managing inbound e-mail can be introduced as part of an e-mail management policy which aims to minimize the volume of 1LSpam (unsolicited e-mail). 2 Internal business e-mail. 3 External business e-mail, 4-Personal e-mail (riends and family). Outbound e-mail E-mail sent from the company to other organizations, Feeds Feeds are an important method of exchanging different types of information using standard formats typically based on XML One example of use of feeds to exchange information between databases on two servers is upleing product details and prices to a price comparison site such as, jogle product search which is facilitated through Google Base th ‘| ease google.com).Feed Information is regularly exchanged between a server and another server or a client using a standardized XML format enabling the latest ‘version of the information to be exchanged. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds Blog, news or other content is published by an XML standard and syndicated for other sites or read by users in RSS reader software services, Now typically shortened to feed’, e.g: news feed or sports feed. IPTV (Internet TV) ‘The growth in popularity of IPTV or ‘Internet TV, where TV and video are streamed via broadband across the Internet, is one of the most exciting developments in recent years. IPTV (Internet Protocol television) Digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocel, typically by a broadband connection. IPTV can be streamed for real-time viewing or downloaded before playback. Peer-to-peer IPTV facilities use 2 similar technological approach to BitTorrent which was developed in 2002 to enable sharing of large audio and video files. The BitTorrent protocol breaks a large file into smaller segments and these are then downloaded by different client computers, Once downloaded, a fragment can then be uploaded by other computers to form a “P2P swarm’. Fragments are then reassembled by BitTorrent software on 2 user's computer. BitTorrent A peer-to-peer filesharing technology used to enable sharing of large audio and video files. Voice over IP (VoIP) Voice over IP (ValP) is a relatively new approach which can be used for ‘transmitting voice over a LAN or on a wider scale, You will remember that IP stands for Internet Protocol and so VolP enables phone calls to be made over the Internet. Voice data is transferred across the Intemet - it enables phone calls to be made over the Internet. In addition to the eost-reduction benefits, ‘other benefits incluc © Click-to-call - users click the number they want from an on-screen directory to call.E-Business Infrastructures GPQPLINE oes shen: Fysems teenmeneer sae » ‘Education| Course Module ‘©. Call forwarding and conferencing to peeple at other locations (© Unlfled messaging, E-mails, volcemails and faxes are all integrated into single inbox © Hot-desking - calls are routed to staff wherever they log-in - on-site or offsite, 12 Cost control - review and allocation of casts between diferent ‘businesses is more transparent. To implement VoIP several options are available to managers: 1 Peer-to-peer. The best-known peer-to-peer solution is Skype (purchased by eBay in 2005) which offers free calls or video-con‘erencing between Internet-comected PCs that are enabled with a headset (sometimes called ‘softphones). A service called SkyzeOut enables calls to landlines or mobile phones at a reduced cost compared to traditional billing, This services only really suited to smaller businesses, but could be used in larger businesses for some staff who call abread frequently to bypass the central system. 2 Hosted service. This principle is similar to hosted software from application service providers (ASPs) Here, a company makes use of a large centralized IP-based system shared between many companies. This potentially reduces costs, but some companies might be concemed about utsourcingtheir entire phone directory. 3 Complete replacement of all telephone systems. This is potentially costly and disruptive in the short term, but new companies or relocating companies may find ths the most cost effective solution. ‘ existing telephone systems to use VoIP. Typically, tie best compromise for existing companies. ‘Widgets widgets are diferent forms of tools mace availabe on a web site or on 4 user's desizop. They ae a relatively new concept associated with Veb 2.0, ‘A badge or button incorporated ino a site or social nenrork space by its comer, with content or services tpically served from another ste, maling ‘indgets effectively a ant-softvare application or web service. Content cat be updated real tmesince the widget interats ith the server each time it toads The main types of widgets are: 1 Web widgets Web widgets have been used for along tine as par ofafiliate narketing but they are geting more sophisteated, enabling searches on a ‘te rea- Sie price updates or even steaming ideo, 2 Google gadgets. Different content canbe incorporated ento a percenalzed Google iGoogle’ home pageGOMLINE|oeg sme sen temnmen ness . ducati Course Module Business Iarartructures TcPAP ‘TCP/IP development was led hy Robert Kzhn and Vince Cacf in the le 960s and nt 97s and scoding Ltr eal (200), fur es centroled Rats erly work on this proce 09) These four rules higilight the operation ofthe TCP/IP protocol: 1L Distinet networks would be able to communicate seamlessly with other networks, 2 Communications would be on abest-efort basis thats if adata packet did not reach the final destination, would be retransmitted from the source until successful receipt 3 Black boxes would be used to connect the networks; these are now known fe ‘geteways and ‘routers’ and are produced by compenies euch a2 Cicoo ard Com: In order to keep them simple there would be no information retained bythe ‘geteways’. 4 There would be no global control of transmissions - these would be govemed by the requester and sender ofinformation. TRAP ‘Tho Trarcmiscion Control Protocol isa transport layer protocol that moves data bebveen applications. The internet Protocol is 2 network layer protocol that moves data between host computers. address ‘The unique numerical address of computer. Packet Each Internet message such as an email or HTTP request is broken down into smaller pars for ease of transmission. ‘The HTTP protocal HTTP, the Hypertert Transfer Protocol isthe standard used to allow ‘web browsers and serversto transfer requests for delivery of web pages ard ‘heir embeded grephics. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) HTTP ic standard which define: the way information is transmitted across the Internet betiveen web drowsers and web servers.Uniform resource locators (URLs) ‘Web addresses refer to particular pages on 2 web server which is hhested by a company or erganizatior, The tecianical name for web address S uniform (or universal) resource locator (URL), Uniform (universal) resource locator (URL) Aweb adérese used to locate a web pageon a wea server. Domain names ‘The domain name refers to the name ofthe web server and is usvally selected to be the same as the name of the company, and the extension will imieste its type. The extension is also commonly Kxown as the generic top- level domain (gILD) Note that gTLDe are curventiy under diseucsion and ‘there are proposals for adding new types such as.store and firm (Common gTLDs are: (@) com represents an international or American company such 25 ‘winweravelocity.com. (Gi) .org ae not-for-profit organizations (e.g. www.greenpeace.crg) (Gi) mobi -intreduced in 2006 for sites configured for mobile phones (Gv) net is a networkprovider such es wwwdermonaet, ‘Thereare alse specific country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs): (0) couk represents a company based in the UX such = ‘wirwthomascool.coak. (vi) .2u, ca, de, es fi fr it, ml ets represents other countries (the cose syntax an anoraly'. (iu) acuk 1s a uicbased university or other higher education institution [eg vnnmeranfied acu,GOPLINE| oes suse syne Delman Mrsas os Education Course Module E-Business! (vill) .orguk is for an organization focusing on a single county (eg. nveimencap.orgul). URL strategy A defined approach to forming URLs including the use of capitalization, hyphenation and subdomains for different brands and different locations. This has implications for promoting a web site offine ‘through promotional or vanity URLs, search engine optimization and findablity. A clean URL which fits many” of these aims is http: //www.domain.com/folder-name/document-name, Care must be taken ‘with capitalization since Linux servers parse capitals differenty from lower- case letters. Domain name registration Most companies are likely to own several domains, perhaps for different product lines or countries or for specific marketing campaigns. Domain Registration ‘The process of reserving a unique web address that can be used to refer to the company web site, ‘Web presentation and data exchange standards ‘The information, graphics and interactive elements that make up the ‘web pages of asite are collectively referred to as content. Content ‘The design, text and graphical information that forms 2 web page. Good content is the key to attracting customers to a web site and retaining ‘their interest or achieving repeat visits. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) - A standard web-page presentation format used to define the text and layout of web pages. HTML files usually have the extension HTML or HTM. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) - display of unstructured text content. Web-page text has many of the formatting options available in a ‘word processor. These include applying fonts, emphasis (bold, italic, underline) and placing information in tables.XML (eXtensible Markup Language) - display and exchange of structured textand data, ‘While HTML has proved powerful in providing a standard method of displaying information that was easy to learn, it is largely presentational. HTML only had a limited capability for describing the data on web pages. A capability for summarizing the content of pages is an example of meta-data. ‘Meta’ is part of the ancient Greek language, and in an information management context can be summarized as providing a description or definition about a topic oritem. Meta-data A definition of the structure and content of a collection of data or documents. ‘Data about data’. HTML meta-tags Standard HTML codes used to specify the content and characteristics of the document. ‘XML or eXtensible Markup Language ‘The limited capability within HTML for meta-data and data exchange has been acknowledged and, m an effort coordinated by the World Wide Web Consortium, the first XML or eXtensible Markup Language was produced in February 1998, Standard for transferring structured data, unlike HTML which is purely presentational. Semantic web standards ‘The semantic web is a concept promoted by Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web Consortium (www-w3.org) to improve upon the capabilities of the current World Wide Web. Semantics is the study of the ‘meaning of words and linguistic expressions. Intervelated content including data with defined meaning, enabling better exchange of information between computers and between people and computers. Agents Software programs that can assist humans by automatically gathering information from the Internet or exchanging data with other agents based on parameters supplied by the user.GOQOLINE|oeg Busnes Sysams Deron sae 3 Education Course Module E-Business! Wiki Accollaborative interactive web service which enables users to modify content contributed by others. Graphical images (GIF, JPEG and PNG files) Graphics produced by graphic designers or captured using digital cameras can be readily incorporated into web pages as images. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and JPEG (Joint Photographics Experts Group) refer to the two standard file formats most commonly used to present images on web pages. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) ‘A graphics format and compression algorithm best used for simple graphics. JPEG (Joint Photographics Experts Group) ‘A graphics format and compression algorithm best used for photographs. PNG (Portable Network Graphics) ‘A graphics format defined to supersede the GIF format. Its features include compression, transparency and progressive loading, Plug-in A progam that must be downloade to view patil content such ‘Audio and video standards ‘Traditionally sound and video, or ‘rich media’, have been stored as the Microsoft standards wav and avi, A newer sound format for music is mp3.Streaming media Sound and video that can be experienced within a web browser before ‘the whole clip is downloaded. Internet governance Contrel of the operation and use of the Internet. The net neutrality principle ‘The principle enshrines equal access to the Internet and the web which is threatened by two different forces. Network neutrality ‘Net neutrality’ is the principle of provision of equal access to different Internet services by telecommunications service providers. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN, ‘wwiw.icann.org) ‘The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the non-profit body formed for domain name and IP address allocation and management. The Internet Society (www.isoc.org) ‘The Internet Society (ISOC) is a professional membership society formed in 1992, It summarizes its aims as To provide leadership in addressing issues that confront the future of the Internet, and is the organization home for the groups responsible for Internet infrastructure standards, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB). The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF, www.ietforg) This is one of the main technical bodies, It is an international community of network designers, operators, vendors and researchers concerned with the development of the Internet's architecture and its ‘transport protocols such as IP. The World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org) ‘This organization is responsible for web standards. Its director is Tim Berners-Lee whe effectively invented the World Wide Web in the late 1990s ‘while working at CERN, the European Particle Physies Laboratory in Geneva.GAE8 «cg efusewtppm temas . Dg loca guaran ee E-Business ‘Telecomnunications Information Networking Architecture Consortium TINa-c{wivwtima.com) This consortium is somewhat different from the others in thet it takes 4a higher-level view of how applications communicate over communications retire, How can compantesinfiuence or take control of internet standards? As well as the supra-governmental organizations which we have reviewed above, it can be argued that companies seck coatrel of the Internet to gain compenitive advantage. For sxample, Microsof used whet have been judged as anti-competitive tactics to gam 2 large market share for its browse, Intemet Explore. Open-source software Is developed cellaborstively, independent of 2 vendor, by 2 community ofsoftware developers anduusers. Managing e-business infrastructure The architecture of hardware, software, content and data used to deliver e-business services te employees, customers and partners. Different perspectives on te infrastructure: 1 Karéware and gystems software infrastructure. This refers mainly to the hardware and network infrastructure discussed m the previous sections. It Includes the provision of clients carvers, nobwork services and also eystome software such as operating systems and browsers 2 Applications infrastructure. This refers to the applications software used t0 deliver services to employees, customers and other partners Microblogging Publishing of short posts through services sich as Twitter.com and TunblicomManaging hardware and systems software infrastructure Layer Il - Systems software ‘The key management decision is standardization throughout the ‘organization. Standardization leads to reduced numbers of contacts for support and maintenance and can reduce purchase prices through rmulti-user licenses, Layer III - Transport or network: Decisions on the network will be based on the internal company network, which for the e-business will be an intranet, and for the external network either an extranet or VPN or links to the public Internet. Layer IV - Storage ‘The decision on storage is similar to that for the transport layer. Storage can be managed internally or externally, Managing Internet service and hosting providers Service providers who provide access to the Internet for consumers or businesses are usually referred to as ISPs’ or ‘Internet service providers’ ISPs may also host the web sites which publish a company's web site content. Dial-up connection Access ta the Internet via phone lines using analogue modems. Broadband connection Access to the Internet via phone lines using a digital data transfer mechanism, Issues in management of ISP and hosting relationships ‘The primary issue for businesses in managing ISPs and hosting providers is to ensure a satisfactory service quality at a reasonable price. Speed of access A site or e-business service fails if it fails to deliver an acceptable download speed for users. In the broadband world this is still important as e+ business applications become more complex and sites integrate more rich media such as audio and video.Benefits of web services or SaaS SaaS are usually paid for on a subscription basis, so can potentially be switched on and off or payments paid according to usage, hence they are also known as ‘on demand, The main business benefit of these systems is that installation and maintenance costs such as upgrade. Multi-tenancy SaaS A single instance of a web service is used by different customers {tenants) run on a single or load-balaneed across multiple servers. Customers are effectively sharing processor, disk usage and bandwidth with other customers, Single-tenancy SaaS A single instance of an application (and/or database) is maintained for all customers (tenants) who have dedicated resources of processor, disk usage and bandwidth. The single instance may be load-balanced over multiple servers for improved performance. Utility computing TT resources and in particular software and hardware are utilized ona pay-per-use basis and are managed externally as ‘managed services. Application service provider An application server provides 2 business application on a server remote from the user. Cloud computing ‘The use of distributed storage and processing on servers connected by the Internet, typically provided as software or data storage as a subscription service provided by other companies. ‘Virtualization ‘The indirect provision of technology services through another resource (abstraction), Essentially one computer is using its processing and storage capacity to do the work of another, So virtualization has these benefits:BONLINE ogg ezusner syeumsDerelopment/MIT S24 GOONS O€0 eesincssintasevcane 2 © Lower hardware eosts through consolidation of servers (see mini case below) tower maintenance and sipport cess Lower energy costs Scalability to add more resource more easily Standardized personalized desktops can be accessed from any location, so users are not tied to an individual physical computer ‘© Improved business continuity. Service-oriented architecture A service-oriented architecture is a collection of services that communicate with each other as part ofa distributed systems architecture comprising different services, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) ‘The exchange, using digital media, of structured business information, particularly for sales transactions such as purchase orders and invoices between buyers and sellers po oo Financial EDI Aspect of electronic payment mechanism involving transfer of funds from the bank of a buyer to the bank of a seller. Electronic funds transfer (EFT) Automated digital transmission of money between organizations and banks. Internet EDI Use of EDI data standards delivered across non-proprietary IP networks, ‘Value-added network (VAN) A secure wide-area network that uses proprietary rather than Internet Technology.Virtual private networks (VPN) A secure, encrypted (tunnelled) connection between two points using the Internet, typically ereated by ISPs for organizations wanting to conduct secure Internet trading. Mobile commerce or m-commerce Hlectronic transactions and communications conducted using mobile devices such as laptops, PDAs and mobile phones, and typically with 2 ‘wireless connection. Wireless Internet access standards ‘The capabilities of mobile phones have evolved tremendously since ‘the first generation briek-like phones were introduced in the 1980s, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) ‘WAP is a technical standard for transferring information to wireless devices, such as mobile phones. iMode Amabile access platform that enables display of colour graphics and content subscription services. SMS applications ‘The importance of SMS messaging by businesses should not be underestimated, Texting has proved useful for business in some niche applications. For example, banks now notify customers when they approach an overdraft and provide weekly statements using SMS. 1 Database building/direct response to ads/direct mail or on-pack. Tkis is one of the most significant applications. For example, Ford engaged its audience ‘when promoting the Ford Ka by offering consumers to text in a unique code printed on their postcard for entry into a prize draw. 2 Location-based services. Text for the nearest pub, club, shop or taxi. In London you can now text for the nearest available tan and pay the congestion charge through texting once accounts are set up via the web! 3 Sampling/tvial. Nestié used an opt-in SMS database to offer samples for a new chocolate bar to consumers in its target group. 4 Sales promotions. Timed e-coupons can be sent out to encourage footfall in real and virtual stores. Drinks brand WKD offered its consumers to ‘Peel Off and Win onits bottles.GODIN o€g sBusessysemepeymenarscs ws 5 Rewarding with offers for brand engagement. Valuable content on mobiles can be offered via SMS, for example free ringtones, wallpaper, Java games or credits can be offered to consumers via text. 6 Short codes. Short codes are easy to remember: 5-digit numbers combined ‘with text that can be used by advertisers or broadcasters to encourage consumers to register their interest. 7 Offering paid for WAP services and content. Any service such as a ringtone delivered by WAP can be invoked from a text message. WiFi (‘wireless-fidelity’) mobile access "WEFi'is the shorthand often used to describe a high-speed wireless local-area network. Most Wi-Fi networks use a standard protocol known as 802.11 ab, g or n, which offers data rates of up to 300 Mbps, which is relatively fast compared to ADSL, although this depends on signal strength. A high-speed wireless local-area network enabling wireless access to the Internet for mobile, office and home users. Bluetooth ‘Avwireless standard for transmission of data between devices over short ranges (less than 100m). Proximity marketing Marketing messages are delivered in real time according to customers’ presence based on the technology they are carrying, wearing or have embedded, Bluecasting is the best-imown example. Bluecasting Bluecasting involves messages being automatically pushed to a consumer's Bluetooth enabled phone or they can pull or request audio, video or text content to be downloaded from alive advert. In the future ads wall be able to respond to those who view them, Technology convergence ‘Avtrend in which different hardware devices such as TVs, computers and phones merge and have similar functions.Strategies formobile commerce Different types of strategy can be identified for two main different types of players. For portal and media owners the options are to migrate ‘heir own portal to a text version (the option followed by the BBC for example (iinizbbsco.uk/mobile/). Repurposing Developing content for # new access platform which was previously used for a differen: platform such asthe web. Activities and Exercises lease see file attachment forthe quiz. References Chaffey, D. (2005). E-Business and ECommerce Manegement: Strategy, implementation and Practice 4th Ed. Prentice Hall.