The term "e-business" was coined by IBM's marketing and Internet teams in 1996.

Electronic business, commonly referred to as E-Business" or an internet business, may be defined as the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of all the activities of business.

E-Business refers primarily to the digital enablement of transactions and processes within a firm, involving only the information systems under the control of the firm. E-Business are those activities other than buying and selling via electronic channels.

Business-to-business (B2B): B2B e-business is simply defined as e-business between companies. This is the type of e-business that deals with relationships between and among businesses. The more common B2B examples and best practice models are IBM, Hewlett Packard (HP), Cisco and Dell. Cisco, for instance, receives over 90% of its product orders over the Internet. Business-to-consumer (B2C) : Business-to-consumer e-business or business between companies and consumers, involves customers gathering information; purchasing physical goods (i.e., tangibles such as books or consumer products) or information goods (or goods of electronic material or digitized content, such as software, or e-books); and, for information goods, receiving products over an electronic network.

The more common B2C business models are the online retailing companies such as Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Beyond.com, Barnes and Noble and ToysRus, ETrade and Travelocity.

Business-to-government (B2G) :
Business-to-government e-business or B2G is generally defined as business between companies and the public sector. It refers to the use of the Internet for public procurement, licensing procedures, and other government-related operations.

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) :
Consumer-to-consumer e-business or C2C is simply business between private individuals or consumers.

M-commerce :
It refers to the use of mobile devices for conducting the transactions. The mobile device holders can contact each other and can conduct the business.

Electronic commerce (EC) is the process of buying, transferring, or exchanging products, services, and/or information via computer networks, including the internet. EC can also be beneficial from many perspectives including business process, service, learning, collaborative, community. E-commerce seeks to add revenue streams using the World Wide Web or the Internet to build and enhance relationships with clients and partners and to improve efficiency. EC is often confused with e-business, e-commerce is a subset of an overall e-business strategy.

Lower Cost Economy Higher Margins Better Customer Service Quick Comparison Shopping Productivity Gains Teamwork Knowledge Markets Information Sharing, Convenience, And Control

Security System And Data Integrity System Scalability Ecommerce Is Not Free Consumer Search Is Not Efficient or Costeffective Customer Relations Problems Products People won't buy online Corporate Vulnerability High Risk Of Internet Startup

Digital Convergence Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone Changes in Organizations Make-up Widespread Access to IT Increasing Pressure on Costs & Profit Margins Demand for Customized Products & Services Speed or Time Reduction

E-commerce challenges affecting individuals, business and countries differ to a great extent depending on knowledge levels, access to capital, support infrastructure and local geographical challenges. Cost considerations arise as a natural consequence of building a tailored approach. In less developed countries the internet challenges facing companies and individuals extend beyond educational awareness. With a high percentage of consumers operating without credit cards, this dampens the enthusiasm for ecommerce and limits the available market. Poor telecommunications and postal infrastructure create a separate set of logistical challenges. Security is one of the biggest e-commerce challenges faced by businesses on a global scale. The ecommerce challenges faced by business and individuals are wide and varied and change in response to market, landscape and educational awareness levels.

The concept of E-service (electronic service), represents one prominent application of utilizing the use of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in different areas. Three main componentsservice provider service receiver and the channels of service delivery The two dominant application areas of e-services are: E-Business (or E-Commerce): e-services mostly provided by businesses or Non-government Organizations (NGOs) (private sector). E-government: e-services provided by government to citizens or business (public sector is the supply side).

Lu (2001) identifies a number of benefits for e-services, some of these are: Accessing a greater customer base Broadening market reach Lowering of entry barrier to new markets and cost of acquiring new customers Alternative communication channel to customers Increasing services to customers Enhancing perceived company image Gaining competitive advantages Potential for increasing customer knowledge

E-readiness, as the Economist Intelligence Unit defines, is the measure of a countrys ability to leverage digital channels for communication, commerce and government in order to further economic and social development. Implied in this measure is the extent to which the usage of communications devices and Internet services creates efficiencies for business and citizens, and the extent to which this usage is leveraged in the development of information and communications technology (ICT) industries. In general terms, the definition of e-readiness is relative, For instance depending on a country in question's priorities and perspective.