Project One Explore Internet
Services and Explore E-commerce
Team Members:
Nick Jacques
Chris
Carlson
Rory
Schroeder
Drew
Rich
Professor Dr. Andrew Targowski
Table of
Contents
Executive
summary
..
page 3
Introduction
.
.
page
3
Service Engines Google, Ask Jeeves, and Vivisimo
page 4
News Services:
Prediction for Internet
Services Future
.
page 5
Individual Assessments of
Internet Services Project
.
page 6
Automobile Research and
Purchase sites Edmunds, Cars, and Carsmart
...
..page 7
Retail Sites Amazon,
Overstock, and Shopping-Bargains
.
page 8
Auction Sites EBay,
Liquidation, and OnSale
.
..page 8
Covisint Technology Services
..page 9
Future of B2B
...page 9
Individual Assessments
E-commerce Project
..page 10
Executive summary
This project consisted of exploring free Internet services and
E-commerce websites available for anyone to use. All evaluated web services where evaluated on
a scale of:5-Very High,4-High,3-Medium,2-Low, and1-Very Low In this report you
will explore different search engines such as Google,
Ask, and Vivisimo and different News services like
CNN, NY Times and ENS News. They have
been judged on characteristics such as Ease of Use and Customer Service. Next the report explores the rise in
Business-to-Business E-commerce, which has been increasing at a rapid
rate. Another topic provides insight on
top automobile websites that aid consumers in the business-to-consumer process
of research for their new investments.
The report also consists with evaluations of Discount Retail and
Auctions sites. The report ends with an
explanation of Business-to-Business Predictions. This report shows a growing competition for
internet services companies competing in B2B and E-Commerce fields. And how we as consumers and business rate the
ease and overall experiences of these different web services to determine which
one we use.
Introduction
The
future of the Internet will be to make life in business and outside of it
simpler. Communication will be easier, and many functions we do today will be
compounded into services on the Internet. As time goes on, the world will
become more and more dependent on the Internet and its capabilities. For the
time being, we will be content with our lives as they are now, but we know that
the future will bring the rise of the Internet almost to the point where many
everyday functions are performed over the Internet. In this project we show how
are research in a few key areas can help you to better determine which service
will be most beneficial to your particular needs.
Internet Services
Project
Service Engines Google,
Ask Jeeves, and Vivisimo
|
Service |
Ease of Use |
Content Scope |
Customer Service |
Exclusiveness |
Usefulness |
Totals |
|
Google |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
25 |
|
Ask Jeeves |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
21 |
|
Vivisimo |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
15 |
By
researching these 3 search engines I discovered that Google
was the easiest to use. Google offers links that provide one with web searches,
images, groups, news, local, and to search on froogle. When trying to search, Google
delivers a faster return rate of information.
I found that Google also gives more useful
links than its competitors. All of the
search engines offered adequate customer service with a specific link directing
users to their background and contact information. Vivisimo did not
have the easy access link as Google and Ask Jeeves offered. When
searched for how to submit a site, each engine offered a link to do so. Google and Ask Jeeves definitely offered more exclusive and useful links
than Vivisimo did.
With Google sometimes there would almost be
limitless information. In conclusion, Google is the obvious choice with Ask Jeeves
trailing right behind. Personally, I
would never see myself using Vivisimo.
News Services:
|
Service |
Ease of Use |
Content Scope |
Customer Service |
Exclusiveness |
Usefulness |
Totals |
|
Cnn.com |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
23 |
|
NYtimes.com |
4 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
24 |
|
Ens-news.com |
3 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
17 |
Cnn.com
and NYtimes.com are both great websites with broad news coverage. They are both easy to use because the web
pages are well organized. Ens-news.com
is much harder to use because its links to news stories arent categorized or
organized in an orderly fashion. The
most recent stories are posted on the front page. It would be difficult to find an older story. Ens-news.com is also different from Cnn.com
and NYtimes.com because it is entirely environmentally based news.
The Services I subscribed to were ENS daily headlines, e-mail
newsletters from Cnn.com, and a service from NYtimes.com called college that
finds articles significant to any field of study searched for. I found the Cnn.com and NYtimes.com services
much easier to use then the ens-news.com service. I had a difficult time
signing up for and using the ENS-news service.
Prediction for Internet Services
Future
The
future of personal and business lives as we know today will be revolutionized
by the internet services of the future. With the internet bringing new
innovative ways for doing business, many companies will transform their way of
doing business in order to expand the markets in which they compete. These advances
will modernize their corporate business processes to deliver products and
services more efficiently and attract and retain customers in new and
innovative ways. Market conditions constantly change as new competitors enter
markets with new business models. Customer loyalty is fleeting as customers are
just one click away from switching to competitors. As more and more internet
services become available the way people use these services will help to bring
new concepts to light and very much change the way peoples decisions are made.
The internet services will help people to become better at decision making
because they can search and find different sides too many different topics
through a number of sources.
People
will also make the decisions to interact via the internet instead of person to person, this could cause generations to have a breakdown
with the ability to interact face to face. Personal interaction is the best way
to gather the insight that is needed for decision making in many kinds of
business. Some people need to have the confidence in the firm that they are
doing business with by directly interacting. Sometimes the internet can conceal
factors that could be important in business operations. More importantly a lot
of everyday business could become more convenient by being able to take care of
things online.
The
increasing dependence of the internet will also bring the issues of privacy
into the picture. The issue of concern would be that online activities would
expose your life in many ways that could possibly jeopardize individuals
security. There could be a new wave of criminal activities that could cause
many people to become victims of online misconduct. With the accessibility of new internet
services available this means that everything that you are doing could be under
surveillance by the government and any one else with the capabilities to do so.
Because of the convenience the internet services offers there may also be
factors that could cause problems in the future that are unknown.
Individual Assessments of Internet
Services Project
Nick Jacques
In
the internet services project I learned how to develop and better understand
the many different internet services that are available. It is important to
know how to evaluate internet service for many reasons other than what I am
going to touch on. One of the things I found to be most critical is an internet
service that should be easy for average people to navigate. The service should
be arranged in a way that is easily comprehendible. Also, you should understand
what kind of customer support the company provides in case there are issues
that arise and you need assistance. Another important thing to mention is how
internet services can help you to quickly breakdown a problem and understand
the topic. I believe in the future this project will be beneficial because I
have a better understanding of the way internet services offer advantages to
those who utilize them. As a professional in the future, I will know more of
what people look for in an internet service and realize when to make use of
them. I, personally will use this project for the
realization that there are different internet services available and that the
more you search the more you uncover.
Chris
Carlson
There are a wide variety of free services available to anyone
with access to the internet. One can
find information on any subject imaginable.
In the process of completing this project I have come to conclude a few
things. Google.com is a better search
engine then askjeeve.com and vivisimo.com.
It was superior in all 5 of the different criteria that we judged them
on. I have also concluded that
NYtimes.com is a better resource for news coverage than Cnn.com and
Ens-news.com. This is useful information
for me because I use search engines a great deal, and also occasionally I am
interested in keeping up with current news.
Nytimes.com will be the site I use for any news coverage I may need in
my future profession or otherwise. This
site was very thorough and complete.
I have also learned that the internet is becoming
increasingly important in the business world.
One must keep up with the latest technology or one will put ones self
at a distinct disadvantage. Knowing was
services are the best ones to use is vital in the business world. One must keep current on this information to
be successful.
Stephan Schroeder
While researching several different websites such as Google, Ask Jeeves, Vivisimo,
Drew Rich
From
what I have learned, I will now look at the internet as more of a tool, rather
than websites. I will today perform research that will help me find better
products for a reasonable price. While researching websites Edmunds, cars, and carsmart, Ive gained skills in researching certain
products. Now I will visit websites with confidence in what to look for. In my
future profession, I will use my learned knowledge from this project to keep my
priorities organized. The internet is a big business and this project helped me
realize that I need to focus on my future career in order to be successful. In
my future profession, I would thoroughly inspect business on the internet and
its technology to enhance my knowledge to do better work.
E-Commerce Project
Automobile Research and Purchase
sites Edmunds, Cars, and Carsmart
|
services |
ease of use |
Content scope |
Privacy policy |
Customer service |
Exclusiveness |
fees |
totals |
|
www.edmunds.com |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
28 |
|
www.cars.com |
4 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
24 |
|
www.carsmart.com |
3 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
22 |
The website that in fact received the most points for an overall better
website compared to 2 other sites was Edmunds.com. This site has so many
details and options for potential consumers to research thoroughly. It displays
information that would indeed attract customers. There are two cars out there,
used and new. Edmunds.com helps potential customers differentiate between new
and used cars and what could be the best purchase. This site helps people
research automobiles before hand to secure customer satisfaction. Edmunds
editors even give tips and advice to help with the purchasing process. The site
also helps people on keeping up with the maintenance of their vehicle and to
help with future costs. Not only does Edmunds help customers with their buying
decisions, but also how to sell effectively. Displaying competitive information
that car companies have with each other can force customers to choose one car
over another, in which the site presents. Edmunds shows great information on
future cars and how they will become so effective within the market. The
website even has exclusive video clips on future performance vehicles. With
intriguing information on the car market, this site helps potential car buyers
make important decisions.
Retail Sites Amazon, Overstock, and
Shopping-Bargains
|
Service |
Ease of use |
Content Scope |
Customer Service |
Privacy Policy |
Marketing Techniques |
Security |
Total |
|
Amazon |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
27 |
|
Overstock |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
23 |
|
Shopping-Bargains |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
21 |
Amazon.com like the other three sites, is
very user friendly and with a few clicks you can narrow your search down
quickly. The way Amazon.com organizes its categories makes it easy to know
which categories you need to search under. You can also type in a keyword
search to narrow the search down.
Besides Amazon.coms huge selection of
products in over 30 categories, the Amazon.com site offers you many other
opportunities for personalization, connecting with others, making money, and
more.
Amazon.coms customer service is terrific; it
responds to customers by e-mail and phone 24/7. It also has a frequently asked
questions (FAQ) form that can help you to solve a problem without contacting
someone. Chances are, if you have a question someone also as the same question
and the FAQ are a good place to start. Amazon.coms
privacy policy is much like the other two sites; it does use collected
information from your activities within the site to better understand the needs
of the company. Amazon.com is not in the business of selling customer
information. Amazon.com works to protect the security of your information
during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which
encrypts information you input. Amazon.com is a participant in the
Auction Sites EBay, Liquidation, and OnSale
|
Services |
Ease of use |
Content Scope |
Fees |
Customer Service |
|
Totals |
|
EBay |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
25 |
|
Liquidation |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
25 |
|
Onsale |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
20 |
EBay
and Liquidation both offer ease of use, in depth content scope, low fees, great
customer service, and are very useful.
EBay and Liquidation both provide searches for key words, categories,
location, lot size, and condition. Onsale just offers a box for key word searches. When searching for a specific product EBay
and Liquidation offer a larger variety of products. Onsale goes through
a whole Advance Search process. EBay
and Liquidation are by far more useful than Onsale
and is more popular. I personally use
EBay on every occasion when I intend on selling something.
Covisint
Technology Services
Covisint is a technology services company targeting the automotive
industry. They provide interoperability
between a company and the supply chain that it relies upon to manufacture its
products. This service provides users
with opportunities to share information with external partners. Information can be transferred more
efficiently between companies with the use of this service.
This service allows companies to extend applications and
business processes that require interaction with suppliers and other business
partners outside of their enterprise.
Organizations trade information with many different partners in
different industries. Covisint provides the tools and services for interacting
with these multiple partners electronically. This simplifies the complexity of
interacting threw multiple partners formats, protocols, and networks. This simplification can reduce total costs by
eliminating unnecessary business expenses.
Covisint provides an any to any translation service that converts ay document
format into any other document format as part of its message routing and
delivery service. This simplifies the
process of interaction trough these documents by eliminating the process of
researching, acquiring, installing, and supporting complex translation software. This valuable solution can save companies a
lot of time and effort that can be utilized in other areas of the business.
Future of B2B
B2B
E-commerce is becoming a major force in todays world of business. B2B
E-commerce, or also known as Business-to-Business E-commerce is starting to
gradually increase, according to the source; Business-to-Business E-commerce
has increased at a rate of 75% per year. The article also mentioned that there
have been major failures of B2B E-commerce; B2B E-commerce has shown an
impressive statistics, which include $ 200 billion in sales of goods and
services last year.
The
advantages of B2B E-commerce are as follows; firstly, with the current trends
of globalizing economies, B2B E-commerce will bring people even closer
together. Another advantage would be its efficiency and effectiveness for
information exchange and sharing. B2B E-commerce will also enable organizations
to do businesses 24-7-365.
B2B
E-commerce will be even bigger in the future, as the numbers have showed, the
growth rate of B2B E-commerce has been large, and it will continue to increase.
Compared to the traditional B2B commerce, B2B E-commerce has a number of
advantages, for example, B2B E-commerce has allowed
According
to another source, B2B E-commerce is also an ideal approach for small-sized to
medium-sized business. This is mainly because the Internet has allowed them to
reach potential customers worldwide. The article also talked about how the B2B
E-commerce is rapidly growing in Asia-Pacific. It is also said that B2B
E-commerce will be worth approximately $ 270 billion by 2005.
In
the future, B2B E-commerce will continue to grow at a steady rate. The recent
trend of economies globalizing will further enhance the development of
technologies. The development of technologies will further improve the
efficiency of B2B E-commerce. However, as B2B E-commerce grows, there would be
more security and safety threats. Therefore there would be a need to develop
better safety protocols such as firewalls, and other anti-virus software.
Individual Assessments E-commerce
Project
Nick
Jacques
In the E-commerce part of this project I learned how the
business world as we know to day will be dramatically innovated in the future.
The B2B world is growing rapidly and the ability to use this technology will
give business considerably advantages in their markets. A businesses ability to
harness Internet technology and transform their businesses into e-businesses
will relay on highly skilled IT organization and a well-integrated information
technology plan. These applications are critical components to succeeding in
e-business. The challenge is how to convert your company's e-business vision
into reality. Transforming your business into an e-business can improve your
company's overall profitability and dramatically increase shareholder
value. The time has come for you to make
business sense of the Internet and exploit the opportunities it offers before
your rivals do. Whether your company is large or small, whether you want to
start with a large-scale implementation or start small and add a capability
incrementally the time is now. This project has helped me to realize that when
I am a profession in the future that e-commerce is a critical element in
business. Weather your business is big or small you should explore the
opportunities the internet can offer. Personal this project has help me to
realize how importation e-commerce is in creating new ways of doing everyday
functions.
Chris
Carlson
The internet has changed the scope of business dramatically
over the last 5 years. It now helps
potential customers with services that help individuals do things such as,
research and perchance automobiles, search for and compare retail merchandise,
and even participate in online auctions.
One can almost always find an item they are looking for at a better
price over the internet, compared to buying the item in a retail store.
E-commerce has expanded the horizons more many businesses and
individuals. Businesses are now able to
reach customers that without the internet they would not have connected
with. Many businesses such as Dell do
business exclusively over the internet.
They have found this to be very efficient, and profitable. The information I have taken from this
project with be useful in my future profession because I will most likely have
to either run my business partially through a website, or use the internet as a
resource for my business.
Stephan Schroeder
I have learned that B2B E-Commerce is
becoming a major force in todays business world. B2B is rapidly bringing people and businesses
together efficiently. It is an effective
way to share and exchange information. I
have also learned that B2B E-Commerce will also allow organizations to do
business around the clock. From viewing
recent studies, B2B E-commerce is going to keep growing as the future
approaches. B2B will also increase
contact with suppliers and customers in different countries. E-Commerce had made it possible to virtually
see the product without having to actually travel to the place which the
product is held. This process makes it
easier for companies to make strategic decisions. B2B E-Commerce has also
taught me that for smaller sized companies it is easier for them to reach
potential customers worldwide. From my
research I have learned that websites are an intricate web of information. Once broken down, one can really see the
potential that website is offering. For
the most part, valuable information can be found on the internet. With the knowledge I have gained I will put
forth more effort into achieving my goals on becoming a successful
businessmen. It inspires me to read such
innovative information on how our economy grows each year.
Drew Rich
This
project has really helped me understand the business aspect of the internet.
The internet has changed businesses worldwide. The internet
help potential customers search for the right product at the best cost.
Ive gained knowledge from the internet to help me with my important purchasing
decisions. Ive discovered that using the internet properly can help people in
the overall global economy. Ive also leaned that e-commerce can change the
face of businesses and can have a huge impact on internet technology. As B2B e-commerce expands, it has helped me
understand it qualities in todays market.