E-commerce

E-commerce (e-commerce) or electronic commerce is the purchasing, selling, and exchanging of goods and services over computer networks (such as the Internet) through which transactions or terms of sale are performed electronically. Contrary to popular belief, e-commerce is not just on the Web. In fact, e-commerce was alive and well in business to business transactions before the Web back in the 70s via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) through VANs (Value-Added Networks). In this new industrial environment E-commerce became an important factor of modern business development.

E-commerce can be broken into four main categories: B2B, B2C, C2B, and C2C.

• B2B (Business-to-Business)
  Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable.
• B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
  Businesses selling to the general public typically through catalogs utilizing shopping cart software.
• C2B (Consumer-to-Business)
  A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer's requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the project.
• C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)
  There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions, and forums where individuals can buy and sell thanks to online payment systems like PayPal where people can send and receive money online with ease. eBay's auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday since 1995.