E-Commerce

Since the introduction of the World Wide Web, the term e-commerce has become synonymous with Websites that provide their guests with facilities to order goods or services online.

In the early days, such facilities were provided via a simple e-mail link or online form that potential customers could use to place an order; but it soon became apparent that this particular method of conducting business was both costly and inefficient. Staff were forced to devote significant time to pricing orders; co companying them with customers and ensuring that the Website's catalogue pages did not advertise lines that had sold out. In addition, even more time was spent apologizing to customers whom had been allowed to order discontinued products before the Website had been successfully updated.

For Web based e-commerce to become a reality, Manufacturing; Distribution; Wholesale and Retail businesses needed the ability to provide online customers with an accurate order cost and ensure that they could only select products that were physically in stock. In a similar manner, service based businesses - such as hotels, taxis and car hire company's - needed to provide their customers with an accurate price; but also to prevent online guests from reserving occupancy space or vehicles that had already been hired.

E-commerce solutions use a combination of computer hardware and software to provide these necessary features.