|
and processing payments--all over the Internet-- is the essence of E-commerce.
An Internet storefront may have a staff of thousands and a multimillion dollar inventory behind it, or it could be the creation of an entrepreneur with a single product to sell.
Why is e-commerce so hot? According to
research firm International Data Corp., the e-commerce market will exceed $46 billion in consumer transactions and $176 billion in business-to-business transactions by 2001. Forrester Research says that customers spent $2.4
billion in online shopping in 1997, and will spend $4.8 billion in 1998. Dell Computer makes $3 million per day from online sales of its computers and peripherals. Online bookseller Amazon.com recorded $87.4 million in sales
for the first quarter of 1998.
|
