Electronic commerce

The meaning of the term Electronic commerce (also marketed as e-commerce or as e-business) has changed over the years.

Originally, "electronic commerce" meant the facilitation of commercial transactions electronically, usually using technology like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to send commercial documents like purchase orders[?] or invoices[?] electronically.

Today it includes things that may more correctly be termed "Web commerce" -- the purchase of goods and services over the World Wide Web via secure server (HTTPS, a special server which encrypts confidential ordering data for customer protection) with e-shopping carts and electronic pay services, like credit card pay authorizations.

Electronic commerce may also involve the electronic transfer of information between businesses (EDI).

So, e-commerce is the conduct of business communications and management through electronic methods, such as electronic data interchange and automated data collection systems.

See also

• Business to Business Electronic Commerce
• Business to Consumer Electronic Commerce

External Links

• Security
  • Secure Electronic Transaction, SET (http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci214194,00.html).