Glossary
A
acceptable use policy (AUP) Policy that informs users of their responsibilities when using company networks, wireless devices, customer data, and so forth.
acceptance testing Determining whether a Web site meets the original business objectives and vision.
access control Mechanism that determines who can legitimately use a network resource.
ad management Methodology and software that enable organizations to perform a variety of activities involved in Web advertising (e.g., tracking viewers, rotating ads).
ad views The number of times users call up a page that has a banner on it during a specific period; known as impressions or page views.
Address Verification System (AVS) Detects fraud by comparing the address entered on a Web page with the address information on file with the cardholder’s issuing bank.
affiliate marketing A marketing arrangement by which an organization refers consumers to the selling company’s Web site.
angel investor A wealthy individual who contributes personal funds and possibly expertise at the earliest stage of business development.
application controls Controls that are intended to protect specific applications.
attractors Web site features that attract and interact with visitors in the target stakeholder group.
auction A competitive process in which a seller solicits consecutive bids from buyers (forward auctions) or a buyer solicits bids from sellers (backward auctions). Prices are determined dynamically by the bids.
audit An important part of any control system. Auditing can be viewed as an additional layer of controls or safeguards. It is considered as a deterrent to criminal actions especially for insiders.
authentication Process to verify (assure) the real identity of an individual, computer, computer program, or EC Web site.
authorization Determines whether a buyer’s card is active and the customer has sufficient funds.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network A nationwide batch-oriented electronic funds transfer system that provides for the interbank clearing of electronic payments for participating financial institutions.
autoresponders Automated e-mail reply systems (text files returned via e-mail) that provide answers to commonly asked questions.
availability Assurance that access to data, the Web site, or other EC data service is timely, available, reliable, and restricted to authorized users.
avatars Animated computer characters that exhibit humanlike movements and behaviors.
acceptable use policy (AUP) Policy that informs users of their responsibilities when using company networks, wireless devices, customer data, and so forth.
acceptance testing Determining whether a Web site meets the original business objectives and vision.
access control Mechanism that determines who can legitimately use a network resource.
ad management Methodology and software that enable organizations to perform a variety of activities involved in Web advertising (e.g., tracking viewers, rotating ads).
ad views The number of times users call up a page that has a banner on it during a specific period; known as impressions or page views.
Address Verification System (AVS) Detects fraud by comparing the address entered on a Web page with the address information on file with the cardholder’s issuing bank.
affiliate marketing A marketing arrangement by which an organization refers consumers to the selling company’s Web site.
angel investor A wealthy individual who contributes personal funds and possibly expertise at the earliest stage of business development.
application controls Controls that are intended to protect specific applications.
attractors Web site features that attract and interact with visitors in the target stakeholder group.
auction A competitive process in which a seller solicits consecutive bids from buyers (forward auctions) or a buyer solicits bids from sellers (backward auctions). Prices are determined dynamically by the bids.
audit An important part of any control system. Auditing can be viewed as an additional layer of controls or safeguards. It is considered as a deterrent to criminal actions especially for insiders.
authentication Process to verify (assure) the real identity of an individual, computer, computer program, or EC Web site.
authorization Determines whether a buyer’s card is active and the customer has sufficient funds.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network A nationwide batch-oriented electronic funds transfer system that provides for the interbank clearing of electronic payments for participating financial institutions.
autoresponders Automated e-mail reply systems (text files returned via e-mail) that provide answers to commonly asked questions.
availability Assurance that access to data, the Web site, or other EC data service is timely, available, reliable, and restricted to authorized users.
avatars Animated computer characters that exhibit humanlike movements and behaviors.
B
B2B portals Information portals for businesses.
back end The activities that support online order fulfillment, inventory management, purchasing from suppliers, payment processing, packaging, and delivery.
balanced scorecard A management tool that assesses organizational progress toward strategic goals by measuring performance in a number of different areas.
banking Trojan A Trojan that comes to life when computer owners visit one of a number of online banking or e-commerce sites.
banner On a Web page, a graphic advertising display linked to the advertiser’s Web page.
bartering The exchange of goods and services.
bartering exchange An intermediary that links parties in a barter; a company submits its surplus to the exchange and receives points of credit, which can be used to buy the items that the company needs from other exchange participants.
behavioral targeting The use of information collected on an individual’s Internet-browsing behavior to select which advertisements to display to that individual.
biometric control An automated method for verifying the identity of a person based on physical or behavioral characteristics.
biometric systems Authentication systems that identify a person by measurement of a biological characteristic, such as fingerprints, iris (eye) patterns, facial features, or voice.
biometrics An individual’s unique physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to identify an individual precisely (e.g., fingerprints).
blog A personal Web site that is open to the public to read and to interact with; dedicated to specific topics or issues.
Bluetooth A set of telecommunications standards that enables wireless devices to communicate with each other over short distances.
botnet A huge number (e.g., hundreds of thousands) of hijacked Internet computers that have been set up to forward traffic, including spam and viruses, to other computers on the Internet.
brick-and-mortar (old economy) organizations Old-economy organizations (corporations) that perform their primary business offline, selling physical products by means of physical agents.
brick-and-mortar (old economy) retailers Retailers who do business in the non-Internet, physical world in traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
build-to-order (pull system) A manufacturing process that starts with an order (usually customized). Once the order is paid for, the vendor starts to fulfill it.
bullwhip effect Erratic shifts in order up and down supply chains.
business case A document that justifies the investment of internal, organizational resources in a specific application or project.
business continuity plan A plan that keeps the business running after a disaster occurs. Each function in the business should have a valid recovery capability plan.
business ethics A form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment.
business impact analysis (BIA) An exercise that determines the impact of losing the support of an EC resource to an organization and establishes the escalation of that loss over time, identifies the minimum resources needed to recover, and prioritizes the recovery of processes and supporting systems.
business intelligence Activities that not only collect and process data, but also make possible analysis that results in useful—intelligent—solutions to business problems.
business model A method of doing business by which a company can generate revenue to sustain itself.
business network A group of people who have some kind of commercial relationship; for example, sellers and buyers, buyers among themselves, buyers and suppliers, and colleagues and other colleagues.
business plan A written document that identifies a company’s goals and outlines how the company intends to achieve the goals and at what cost.
business process management (BPM) Method for business restructuring that combines workflow systems and redesign methods; covers three process categories—people-to-people, systems-to-systems, and systems-to-people interactions.
business social network A social network whose primary objective is to facilitate business connections and activities.
business-oriented networks Social networks whose primary objective is to facilitate business.
business-to-business (B2B) E-commerce model in which all of the participants are businesses or other organizations.
business-to-business e-commerce (B2B EC) Transactions between businesses conducted electronically over the Internet, extranets, intranets, or private networks; also known as eB2B (electronic B2B) or just B2B.
business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) E-commerce model in which a business provides some product or service to a client business that maintains its own customers.
business-to-consumer (B2C) E-commerce model in which businesses sell to individual shoppers.
business-to-employees (B2E) E-commerce model in which an organization delivers services, information, or products to its individual employees.
button A small banner that is linked to a Web site. It can contain downloadable software.
buy-side e-marketplace A corporate-based acquisition site that uses reverse auctions, negotiations, group purchasing, or any other e-procurement method.
B2B portals Information portals for businesses.
back end The activities that support online order fulfillment, inventory management, purchasing from suppliers, payment processing, packaging, and delivery.
balanced scorecard A management tool that assesses organizational progress toward strategic goals by measuring performance in a number of different areas.
banking Trojan A Trojan that comes to life when computer owners visit one of a number of online banking or e-commerce sites.
banner On a Web page, a graphic advertising display linked to the advertiser’s Web page.
bartering The exchange of goods and services.
bartering exchange An intermediary that links parties in a barter; a company submits its surplus to the exchange and receives points of credit, which can be used to buy the items that the company needs from other exchange participants.
behavioral targeting The use of information collected on an individual’s Internet-browsing behavior to select which advertisements to display to that individual.
biometric control An automated method for verifying the identity of a person based on physical or behavioral characteristics.
biometric systems Authentication systems that identify a person by measurement of a biological characteristic, such as fingerprints, iris (eye) patterns, facial features, or voice.
biometrics An individual’s unique physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to identify an individual precisely (e.g., fingerprints).
blog A personal Web site that is open to the public to read and to interact with; dedicated to specific topics or issues.
Bluetooth A set of telecommunications standards that enables wireless devices to communicate with each other over short distances.
botnet A huge number (e.g., hundreds of thousands) of hijacked Internet computers that have been set up to forward traffic, including spam and viruses, to other computers on the Internet.
brick-and-mortar (old economy) organizations Old-economy organizations (corporations) that perform their primary business offline, selling physical products by means of physical agents.
brick-and-mortar (old economy) retailers Retailers who do business in the non-Internet, physical world in traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
build-to-order (pull system) A manufacturing process that starts with an order (usually customized). Once the order is paid for, the vendor starts to fulfill it.
bullwhip effect Erratic shifts in order up and down supply chains.
business case A document that justifies the investment of internal, organizational resources in a specific application or project.
business continuity plan A plan that keeps the business running after a disaster occurs. Each function in the business should have a valid recovery capability plan.
business ethics A form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment.
business impact analysis (BIA) An exercise that determines the impact of losing the support of an EC resource to an organization and establishes the escalation of that loss over time, identifies the minimum resources needed to recover, and prioritizes the recovery of processes and supporting systems.
business intelligence Activities that not only collect and process data, but also make possible analysis that results in useful—intelligent—solutions to business problems.
business model A method of doing business by which a company can generate revenue to sustain itself.
business network A group of people who have some kind of commercial relationship; for example, sellers and buyers, buyers among themselves, buyers and suppliers, and colleagues and other colleagues.
business plan A written document that identifies a company’s goals and outlines how the company intends to achieve the goals and at what cost.
business process management (BPM) Method for business restructuring that combines workflow systems and redesign methods; covers three process categories—people-to-people, systems-to-systems, and systems-to-people interactions.
business social network A social network whose primary objective is to facilitate business connections and activities.
business-oriented networks Social networks whose primary objective is to facilitate business.
business-to-business (B2B) E-commerce model in which all of the participants are businesses or other organizations.
business-to-business e-commerce (B2B EC) Transactions between businesses conducted electronically over the Internet, extranets, intranets, or private networks; also known as eB2B (electronic B2B) or just B2B.
business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) E-commerce model in which a business provides some product or service to a client business that maintains its own customers.
business-to-consumer (B2C) E-commerce model in which businesses sell to individual shoppers.
business-to-employees (B2E) E-commerce model in which an organization delivers services, information, or products to its individual employees.
button A small banner that is linked to a Web site. It can contain downloadable software.
buy-side e-marketplace A corporate-based acquisition site that uses reverse auctions, negotiations, group purchasing, or any other e-procurement method.
C
Captcha tool Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, which uses a verification test on comment pages to stop scripts from posting automatically.
card verification number (CVN) Detects fraud by comparing the verification number printed on the signature strip on the back of the card with the information on file with the cardholder’s issuing bank.
certificate authorities (CAs) Third parties that issue digital certificates.
channel conflict Situation in which an online marketing channel upsets the traditional channels due to real or perceived damage from competition.
chatterbots Animation characters that can talk (chat).
Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) U.S. law that mandates the use of filtering technologies in schools and libraries that receive certain types of federal funding.
CIA security triad (CIA triad) Three security concepts important to information on the Internet: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
ciphertext A plaintext message after it has been encrypted into a machine-readable form.
civil litigation An adversarial proceeding in which a party (the plaintiff ) sues another party (the defendant) to get compensation for a wrong committed by the defendant.
click (click-through or ad click) A count made each time a visitor clicks on an advertising banner to access the advertiser’s Web site.
click-and-mortar (click-and-brick) organizations Organizations that conduct some e-commerce activities, usually as an additional marketing channel.
click-and-mortar retailers Brick-and-mortar retailers that offer a transactional Web site from which to conduct business.
click-through rate The percentage of visitors who are exposed to a banner ad and click on it.
click-through ratio The ratio between the number of clicks on a banner ad and the number of times it is seen by viewers; measures the success of a banner in attracting visitors to click on the ad .
clickstream behavior Customer movements on the Internet.
clickstream data Data that occur inside the Web environment; they provide a trail of the user’s activities (the user’s clickstream behavior) in the Web site.
collaboration hub The central point of control for an emarket. A single c-hub, representing one e-market owner, can host multiple collaboration spaces (c-spaces) in which trading partners use c-enablers to exchange data with the c-hub.
collaborative commerce (c-commerce) The use of digital technologies that enable companies to collaboratively plan, design, develop, manage, and research products, services, and innovative EC applications.
collaborative filtering A market research and personalization method that uses customer data to predict, based on formulas derived from behavioral sciences, what other products or services a customer may enjoy; predictions can be extended to other customers with similar profiles.
collaborative planning A business practice that combines the business knowledge and forecasts of multiple players along a supply chain to improve the planning and fulfillment of customer demand.
collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) Project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in their planning and demand forecasting to optimize flow of materials along the supply chain.
collaborative Web site A site that allows business partners to collaborate.
company-centric EC E-commerce that focuses on a single company’s buying needs (many-to-one, or buy-side) or selling needs (one-to-many, or sell-side).
competitor analysis grid A strategic planning tool that highlights points of differentiation between competitors and the target firm.
compliance data All data belonging or pertaining to an enterprise included in the law, which can be used for the purpose of implementing or validating compliance.
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) Major computer crime law to protect government computers and other Internet-connected computers.
Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Nonprofit trade group providing information security research and best practices.
confidentiality Assurance of data privacy and accuracy. Keeping private or sensitive information from being disclosed to unauthorized individuals, entities, or processes.
considered commerce Conducting e-commerce where the online channel of a business is integrated with the physical retail business as opposed to being a separate channel.
consortium trading exchange (CTE) An exchange formed and operated by a group of major companies in an industry to provide industry-wide transaction services.
consumer-to-business (C2B) E-commerce model in which individuals use the Internet to sell products or services to organizations or individuals who seek sellers to bid on products or services they need.
consumer-to-consumer (C2C) E-commerce model in which consumers sell directly to other consumers.
contact card A smart card containing a small gold plate on the face that when inserted in a smart card reader makes contact and passes data to and from the embedded microchip.
contactless (proximity) card A smart card with an embedded antenna, by means of which data and applications are passed to and from a card reader unit or other device without contact between the card and the card reader.
content The text, images, sound, and video that make up a Web page.
content management The process of adding, revising, and removing content from a Web site to keep content fresh, accurate, compelling, and credible.
Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act Law that makes it a crime to send commercial e-mail messages with false or misleading message headers or misleading subject lines.
conversion rate The percentage of clickers who actually make a purchase.
cookie A data file that is placed on a user’s hard drive by a remote Web server, frequently without disclosure or the user’s consent, that collects information about the user’s activities at a site.
copyright An exclusive right of the author or creator of a book, movie, musical composition, or other artistic property to print, copy, sell, license, distribute, transform to another medium, translate, record, perform, or otherwise use.
corporate portal A major gateway through which employees, business partners, and the public can enter a corporate Web site.
cost-benefit analysis A comparison of the costs of a project against the benefits.
CPM (cost per thousand impressions) The fee an advertiser pays for each 1,000 times a page with a banner ad is shown.
cracker A malicious hacker who may represent a serious problem for a corporation.
CRM analytics Applying business analytic techniques and business intelligence such as data mining and online analytic processing to CRM applications.
cross-selling Offering similar or complementary products and services to increase sales.
CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey Annual security survey of U.S. corporations, government agencies, financial and medical institutions, and universities conducted by the Computer Security Institute.
customer interaction center (CIC) A comprehensive service entity in which EC vendors address customer service issues communicated through various contact channels.
customer relationship management (CRM) A customer service approach that focuses on building long-term and sustainable customer relationships that add value both for the customer and the selling company.
customization Creation of a product or service according to the buyer’s specifications.
cybercrime Intentional crimes carried out on the Internet.
cybercriminal A person who intentionally carries out crimes over the Internet.
Captcha tool Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, which uses a verification test on comment pages to stop scripts from posting automatically.
card verification number (CVN) Detects fraud by comparing the verification number printed on the signature strip on the back of the card with the information on file with the cardholder’s issuing bank.
certificate authorities (CAs) Third parties that issue digital certificates.
channel conflict Situation in which an online marketing channel upsets the traditional channels due to real or perceived damage from competition.
chatterbots Animation characters that can talk (chat).
Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) U.S. law that mandates the use of filtering technologies in schools and libraries that receive certain types of federal funding.
CIA security triad (CIA triad) Three security concepts important to information on the Internet: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
ciphertext A plaintext message after it has been encrypted into a machine-readable form.
civil litigation An adversarial proceeding in which a party (the plaintiff ) sues another party (the defendant) to get compensation for a wrong committed by the defendant.
click (click-through or ad click) A count made each time a visitor clicks on an advertising banner to access the advertiser’s Web site.
click-and-mortar (click-and-brick) organizations Organizations that conduct some e-commerce activities, usually as an additional marketing channel.
click-and-mortar retailers Brick-and-mortar retailers that offer a transactional Web site from which to conduct business.
click-through rate The percentage of visitors who are exposed to a banner ad and click on it.
click-through ratio The ratio between the number of clicks on a banner ad and the number of times it is seen by viewers; measures the success of a banner in attracting visitors to click on the ad .
clickstream behavior Customer movements on the Internet.
clickstream data Data that occur inside the Web environment; they provide a trail of the user’s activities (the user’s clickstream behavior) in the Web site.
collaboration hub The central point of control for an emarket. A single c-hub, representing one e-market owner, can host multiple collaboration spaces (c-spaces) in which trading partners use c-enablers to exchange data with the c-hub.
collaborative commerce (c-commerce) The use of digital technologies that enable companies to collaboratively plan, design, develop, manage, and research products, services, and innovative EC applications.
collaborative filtering A market research and personalization method that uses customer data to predict, based on formulas derived from behavioral sciences, what other products or services a customer may enjoy; predictions can be extended to other customers with similar profiles.
collaborative planning A business practice that combines the business knowledge and forecasts of multiple players along a supply chain to improve the planning and fulfillment of customer demand.
collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) Project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in their planning and demand forecasting to optimize flow of materials along the supply chain.
collaborative Web site A site that allows business partners to collaborate.
company-centric EC E-commerce that focuses on a single company’s buying needs (many-to-one, or buy-side) or selling needs (one-to-many, or sell-side).
competitor analysis grid A strategic planning tool that highlights points of differentiation between competitors and the target firm.
compliance data All data belonging or pertaining to an enterprise included in the law, which can be used for the purpose of implementing or validating compliance.
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) Major computer crime law to protect government computers and other Internet-connected computers.
Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Nonprofit trade group providing information security research and best practices.
confidentiality Assurance of data privacy and accuracy. Keeping private or sensitive information from being disclosed to unauthorized individuals, entities, or processes.
considered commerce Conducting e-commerce where the online channel of a business is integrated with the physical retail business as opposed to being a separate channel.
consortium trading exchange (CTE) An exchange formed and operated by a group of major companies in an industry to provide industry-wide transaction services.
consumer-to-business (C2B) E-commerce model in which individuals use the Internet to sell products or services to organizations or individuals who seek sellers to bid on products or services they need.
consumer-to-consumer (C2C) E-commerce model in which consumers sell directly to other consumers.
contact card A smart card containing a small gold plate on the face that when inserted in a smart card reader makes contact and passes data to and from the embedded microchip.
contactless (proximity) card A smart card with an embedded antenna, by means of which data and applications are passed to and from a card reader unit or other device without contact between the card and the card reader.
content The text, images, sound, and video that make up a Web page.
content management The process of adding, revising, and removing content from a Web site to keep content fresh, accurate, compelling, and credible.
Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act Law that makes it a crime to send commercial e-mail messages with false or misleading message headers or misleading subject lines.
conversion rate The percentage of clickers who actually make a purchase.
cookie A data file that is placed on a user’s hard drive by a remote Web server, frequently without disclosure or the user’s consent, that collects information about the user’s activities at a site.
copyright An exclusive right of the author or creator of a book, movie, musical composition, or other artistic property to print, copy, sell, license, distribute, transform to another medium, translate, record, perform, or otherwise use.
corporate portal A major gateway through which employees, business partners, and the public can enter a corporate Web site.
cost-benefit analysis A comparison of the costs of a project against the benefits.
CPM (cost per thousand impressions) The fee an advertiser pays for each 1,000 times a page with a banner ad is shown.
cracker A malicious hacker who may represent a serious problem for a corporation.
CRM analytics Applying business analytic techniques and business intelligence such as data mining and online analytic processing to CRM applications.
cross-selling Offering similar or complementary products and services to increase sales.
CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey Annual security survey of U.S. corporations, government agencies, financial and medical institutions, and universities conducted by the Computer Security Institute.
customer interaction center (CIC) A comprehensive service entity in which EC vendors address customer service issues communicated through various contact channels.
customer relationship management (CRM) A customer service approach that focuses on building long-term and sustainable customer relationships that add value both for the customer and the selling company.
customization Creation of a product or service according to the buyer’s specifications.
cybercrime Intentional crimes carried out on the Internet.
cybercriminal A person who intentionally carries out crimes over the Internet.
D
darknets Private online community that is only open to those who belong to it.
Data Encryption Standard (DES) The standard symmetric encryption algorithm supported by the NIST and used by U.S. government agencies until October 2000.
data mart A small data warehouse designed for a strategic business unit (SBU) or department.
data mining The process of searching a large database to discover previously unknown patterns; automates the process of finding predictive information.
data warehouse (DW) A single, server-based data repository that allows centralized analysis, security, and control over data.
denial of service (DoS) attack An attack on a Web site in which an attacker uses specialized software to send a flood of data packets to the target computer with the aim of overloading its resources.
desktop purchasing Direct purchasing from internal marketplaces without the approval of supervisors and without the intervention of a procurement department.
desktop search Search tools that search the contents of a user’s or organization’s computer files, rather than searching the Internet. The emphasis is on finding all the information that is available on the user’s PC, including Web browser histories, e-mail archives, and word-processed documents, as well as in all internal files and databases.
detection measures Ways to determine whether intruders attempted to break into the EC system; whether they were successful; and what they may have done.
deterring measures Actions that will make criminals abandon their idea of attacking a specific system (e.g., the possibility of losing a job for insiders).
differentiation Providing a product or service that is unique.
digital divide Refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those without.
digital economy An economy that is based on digital technologies, including digital communication networks, computers, software, and other related information technologies; also called the Internet economy, the new economy, or the Web economy.
digital enterprise A new business model that uses IT in a fundamental way to accomplish one or more of three basic objectives: reach and engage customers more effectively, boost employee productivity, and improve operating efficiency. It uses converged communication and computing technology in a way that improves business processes.
digital envelope The combination of the encrypted original message and the digital signature, using the recipient’s public key.
digital products Goods that can be transformed to digital format and delivered over the Internet.
digital rights management (DRM) An umbrella term for any of several arrangements that allow a vendor of content in electronic form to control the material and restrict its usage.
digital signature or digital certificate Validates the sender and time stamp of a transaction so it cannot be later claimed that the transaction was unauthorized or invalid.
direct marketing Broadly, marketing that takes place without intermediaries between manufacturers and buyers; in the context of this book, marketing done online between any seller and buyer.
direct materials Materials used in the production of a product (e.g., steel in a car or paper in a book).
disaster avoidance An approach oriented toward prevention. The idea is to minimize the chance of avoidable disasters (such as fire or other human-caused threats).
disintermediation The removal of organizations or business process layers responsible for certain intermediary steps in a given supply chain.
disruptors Companies that introduce a significant change in their industries, thus causing a disruption in normal business operations.
distance learning Formal education that takes place off campus, usually, but not always, through online resources.
domain name A name-based address that identifies an Internet-connected server. Usually it refers to the portion of the address to the left of .com and .org, etc.
Domain Name System (DNS) A hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or any resource participating in the Internet; it is like a directory that translates (converts) domain names to their numeric IP addresses..
double auction An auction in which multiple buyers and their bidding prices are matched with multiple sellers and their asking prices, considering the quantities on both sides.
dynamic pricing Prices that change based on supply and demand relationships at any given time.
dynamic Web content Content that must be kept up-to-date.
darknets Private online community that is only open to those who belong to it.
Data Encryption Standard (DES) The standard symmetric encryption algorithm supported by the NIST and used by U.S. government agencies until October 2000.
data mart A small data warehouse designed for a strategic business unit (SBU) or department.
data mining The process of searching a large database to discover previously unknown patterns; automates the process of finding predictive information.
data warehouse (DW) A single, server-based data repository that allows centralized analysis, security, and control over data.
denial of service (DoS) attack An attack on a Web site in which an attacker uses specialized software to send a flood of data packets to the target computer with the aim of overloading its resources.
desktop purchasing Direct purchasing from internal marketplaces without the approval of supervisors and without the intervention of a procurement department.
desktop search Search tools that search the contents of a user’s or organization’s computer files, rather than searching the Internet. The emphasis is on finding all the information that is available on the user’s PC, including Web browser histories, e-mail archives, and word-processed documents, as well as in all internal files and databases.
detection measures Ways to determine whether intruders attempted to break into the EC system; whether they were successful; and what they may have done.
deterring measures Actions that will make criminals abandon their idea of attacking a specific system (e.g., the possibility of losing a job for insiders).
differentiation Providing a product or service that is unique.
digital divide Refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those without.
digital economy An economy that is based on digital technologies, including digital communication networks, computers, software, and other related information technologies; also called the Internet economy, the new economy, or the Web economy.
digital enterprise A new business model that uses IT in a fundamental way to accomplish one or more of three basic objectives: reach and engage customers more effectively, boost employee productivity, and improve operating efficiency. It uses converged communication and computing technology in a way that improves business processes.
digital envelope The combination of the encrypted original message and the digital signature, using the recipient’s public key.
digital products Goods that can be transformed to digital format and delivered over the Internet.
digital rights management (DRM) An umbrella term for any of several arrangements that allow a vendor of content in electronic form to control the material and restrict its usage.
digital signature or digital certificate Validates the sender and time stamp of a transaction so it cannot be later claimed that the transaction was unauthorized or invalid.
direct marketing Broadly, marketing that takes place without intermediaries between manufacturers and buyers; in the context of this book, marketing done online between any seller and buyer.
direct materials Materials used in the production of a product (e.g., steel in a car or paper in a book).
disaster avoidance An approach oriented toward prevention. The idea is to minimize the chance of avoidable disasters (such as fire or other human-caused threats).
disintermediation The removal of organizations or business process layers responsible for certain intermediary steps in a given supply chain.
disruptors Companies that introduce a significant change in their industries, thus causing a disruption in normal business operations.
distance learning Formal education that takes place off campus, usually, but not always, through online resources.
domain name A name-based address that identifies an Internet-connected server. Usually it refers to the portion of the address to the left of .com and .org, etc.
Domain Name System (DNS) A hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or any resource participating in the Internet; it is like a directory that translates (converts) domain names to their numeric IP addresses..
double auction An auction in which multiple buyers and their bidding prices are matched with multiple sellers and their asking prices, considering the quantities on both sides.
dynamic pricing Prices that change based on supply and demand relationships at any given time.
dynamic Web content Content that must be kept up-to-date.
E
e-bartering (electronic bartering) Bartering conducted online, usually in a bartering exchange.
e-book A book in digital form that can be read on a computer screen or on a special device.
e-business A broader definition of EC that includes not just the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, and conducting electronic transactions within an organization.
e-check A legally valid electronic version or representation of a paper check.
e-commerce (EC) risk The likelihood that a negative outcome will occur in the course of developing and operating an electronic commerce strategy.
e-commerce strategy (e-strategy) The formulation and execution of a vision of how a new or existing company intends to do business electronically.
e-distributor An e-commerce intermediary that connects manufacturers with business buyers (customers) by aggregating the catalogs of many manufacturers in one place—the intermediary’s Web site.
e-government E-commerce model in which a government entity buys or provides goods, services, or information to businesses or individual citizens.
e-grocer A grocer that takes orders online and provides deliveries on a daily or other regular schedule or within a very short period of time.
e-learning The online delivery of information for purposes of education, training, or knowledge management.
e-loyalty Customer loyalty to an e-tailer or loyalty programs delivered online or supported electronically.
e-mail spam A subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail.
e-mall (online mall) An online shopping center where many online stores are located.
e-marketplace An online market, usually B2B, in which buyers and sellers exchange goods or services; the three types of e-marketplaces are private, public, and consortia.
e-micropayments Small online payments, typically under $10.
e-newsletter A collection of short, informative articles sent at regular intervals by e-mail to individuals who have an interest in the newsletter’s topic.
e-procurement The electronic acquisition of goods and services for organizations. E-procurement supports the purchase of both direct and indirect materials and employs several Web-based functions such as online catalogs, contracts, purchase orders, and shipping notices.
e-sourcing The process and tools that electronically enable any activity in the sourcing process, such as quotation/tender submittance and response, e-auctions, online negotiations, and spending analyses.
e-supply chain A supply chain that is managed electronically, usually with Web technologies.
e-supply chain management (e-SCM) The collaborative use of technology to improve the operations of supply chain activities as well as the management of supply chains.
e-tailers Retailers who sell over the Internet.
e-tailing Online retailing, usually B2C.
EC architecture A plan for organizing the underlying infrastructure and applications of a site.
EC security programs All the policies, procedures, documents, standards, hardware, software, training, and personnel that work together to protect information, the ability to conduct business, and other assets.
EC security strategy A strategy that views EC security as the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of the organization’s brand, identity, Web site, e-mail, information, or other asset and attempts to defraud the organization, its customers, and employees.
electronic (online) banking or e-banking Various banking activities conducted from home or the road using an Internet connection; also known as cyberbanking, virtual banking, online banking, and home banking.
electronic auctions (e-auctions) Auctions conducted online.
electronic catalogs (e-catalogs) The presentation of product information in an electronic form; the backbone of most e-selling sites.
electronic commerce (EC) The process of buying, selling, or exchanging products, services, or information via computer.
electronic CRM (e-CRM) Customer relationship management conducted electronically.
electronic market (e-marketplace) An online marketplace where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods, services, money, or information.
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) A searchable database of computer hardware that meets a strict set of environmental criteria.
electronic retailing (e-tailing) Retailing conducted online, over the Internet.
electronic shopping cart An order-processing technology that allows customers to accumulate items they wish to buy while they continue to shop.
electronic signature A generic, technology-neutral term that refers to the various methods by which one can “sign” an electronic record.
encryption The process of scrambling (encrypting) a message in such a way that it is difficult, expensive, or time-consuming for an unauthorized person to unscramble (decrypt) it.
encryption algorithm The mathematical formula used to encrypt the plaintext into the ciphertext, and vice versa.
Enterprise 2.0 Technologies and business practices that free the workforce from the constraints of legacy communication and productivity tools such as e-mail. Provides business managers with access to the right information at the right time through a Web of interconnected applications, services, and devices.
enterprise application integration (EAI) Class of software that integrates large systems.
enterprise search The practice of identifying and enabling specific content across the enterprise to be indexed, searched, and displayed to authorized users.
ethics The branch of philosophy that deals with what is considered to be right and wrong.
exchanges (trading communities or trading exchanges) Many-to-many e-marketplaces, usually owned and run by a third party or a consortium, in which many buyers and many sellers meet electronically to trade with each other.
expert location systems (ELS) Interactive computerized systems that help employees find and connect with colleagues who have expertise required for specific problems—whether they are across the country or across the room—in order to solve specific, critical business problems in seconds.
exposure The estimated cost, loss, or damage that can result if a threat exploits a vulnerability.
extranet A network that uses a virtual private network to link intranets in different locations over the Internet; an “extended intranet.”
e-bartering (electronic bartering) Bartering conducted online, usually in a bartering exchange.
e-book A book in digital form that can be read on a computer screen or on a special device.
e-business A broader definition of EC that includes not just the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, and conducting electronic transactions within an organization.
e-check A legally valid electronic version or representation of a paper check.
e-commerce (EC) risk The likelihood that a negative outcome will occur in the course of developing and operating an electronic commerce strategy.
e-commerce strategy (e-strategy) The formulation and execution of a vision of how a new or existing company intends to do business electronically.
e-distributor An e-commerce intermediary that connects manufacturers with business buyers (customers) by aggregating the catalogs of many manufacturers in one place—the intermediary’s Web site.
e-government E-commerce model in which a government entity buys or provides goods, services, or information to businesses or individual citizens.
e-grocer A grocer that takes orders online and provides deliveries on a daily or other regular schedule or within a very short period of time.
e-learning The online delivery of information for purposes of education, training, or knowledge management.
e-loyalty Customer loyalty to an e-tailer or loyalty programs delivered online or supported electronically.
e-mail spam A subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail.
e-mall (online mall) An online shopping center where many online stores are located.
e-marketplace An online market, usually B2B, in which buyers and sellers exchange goods or services; the three types of e-marketplaces are private, public, and consortia.
e-micropayments Small online payments, typically under $10.
e-newsletter A collection of short, informative articles sent at regular intervals by e-mail to individuals who have an interest in the newsletter’s topic.
e-procurement The electronic acquisition of goods and services for organizations. E-procurement supports the purchase of both direct and indirect materials and employs several Web-based functions such as online catalogs, contracts, purchase orders, and shipping notices.
e-sourcing The process and tools that electronically enable any activity in the sourcing process, such as quotation/tender submittance and response, e-auctions, online negotiations, and spending analyses.
e-supply chain A supply chain that is managed electronically, usually with Web technologies.
e-supply chain management (e-SCM) The collaborative use of technology to improve the operations of supply chain activities as well as the management of supply chains.
e-tailers Retailers who sell over the Internet.
e-tailing Online retailing, usually B2C.
EC architecture A plan for organizing the underlying infrastructure and applications of a site.
EC security programs All the policies, procedures, documents, standards, hardware, software, training, and personnel that work together to protect information, the ability to conduct business, and other assets.
EC security strategy A strategy that views EC security as the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of the organization’s brand, identity, Web site, e-mail, information, or other asset and attempts to defraud the organization, its customers, and employees.
electronic (online) banking or e-banking Various banking activities conducted from home or the road using an Internet connection; also known as cyberbanking, virtual banking, online banking, and home banking.
electronic auctions (e-auctions) Auctions conducted online.
electronic catalogs (e-catalogs) The presentation of product information in an electronic form; the backbone of most e-selling sites.
electronic commerce (EC) The process of buying, selling, or exchanging products, services, or information via computer.
electronic CRM (e-CRM) Customer relationship management conducted electronically.
electronic market (e-marketplace) An online marketplace where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods, services, money, or information.
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) A searchable database of computer hardware that meets a strict set of environmental criteria.
electronic retailing (e-tailing) Retailing conducted online, over the Internet.
electronic shopping cart An order-processing technology that allows customers to accumulate items they wish to buy while they continue to shop.
electronic signature A generic, technology-neutral term that refers to the various methods by which one can “sign” an electronic record.
encryption The process of scrambling (encrypting) a message in such a way that it is difficult, expensive, or time-consuming for an unauthorized person to unscramble (decrypt) it.
encryption algorithm The mathematical formula used to encrypt the plaintext into the ciphertext, and vice versa.
Enterprise 2.0 Technologies and business practices that free the workforce from the constraints of legacy communication and productivity tools such as e-mail. Provides business managers with access to the right information at the right time through a Web of interconnected applications, services, and devices.
enterprise application integration (EAI) Class of software that integrates large systems.
enterprise search The practice of identifying and enabling specific content across the enterprise to be indexed, searched, and displayed to authorized users.
ethics The branch of philosophy that deals with what is considered to be right and wrong.
exchanges (trading communities or trading exchanges) Many-to-many e-marketplaces, usually owned and run by a third party or a consortium, in which many buyers and many sellers meet electronically to trade with each other.
expert location systems (ELS) Interactive computerized systems that help employees find and connect with colleagues who have expertise required for specific problems—whether they are across the country or across the room—in order to solve specific, critical business problems in seconds.
exposure The estimated cost, loss, or damage that can result if a threat exploits a vulnerability.
extranet A network that uses a virtual private network to link intranets in different locations over the Internet; an “extended intranet.”
F
fair use The use of copyrighted material for noncommercial purposes.
FAQ page A Web page that lists questions that are frequently asked by customers and the answers to those questions.
firewall A single point between two or more networks where all traffic must pass (choke point); the device authenticates, controls, and logs all traffic.
folksonomy (collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, social tagging) The practice and method of collaboratively creating, classifying, and managing tags to annotate and categorize content.
forward auction An auction in which a seller entertains bids from buyers. Bidders increase price sequentially.
fraud Any business activity that uses deceitful practices or devices to deprive another of property or other rights.
front end The portion of an e-seller’s business processes through which customers interact, including the seller’s portal, electronic catalogs, a shopping cart, a search engine, and a payment gateway.
fair use The use of copyrighted material for noncommercial purposes.
FAQ page A Web page that lists questions that are frequently asked by customers and the answers to those questions.
firewall A single point between two or more networks where all traffic must pass (choke point); the device authenticates, controls, and logs all traffic.
folksonomy (collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, social tagging) The practice and method of collaboratively creating, classifying, and managing tags to annotate and categorize content.
forward auction An auction in which a seller entertains bids from buyers. Bidders increase price sequentially.
fraud Any business activity that uses deceitful practices or devices to deprive another of property or other rights.
front end The portion of an e-seller’s business processes through which customers interact, including the seller’s portal, electronic catalogs, a shopping cart, a search engine, and a payment gateway.
G
general controls Controls established to protect the system regardless of the specific application. For example, protecting hardware and controlling access to the data center are independent of the specific application.
geographical information system (GIS) A computer system capable of integrating, storing, editing, analyzing, sharing, and displaying geographically referenced (spatial) information.
global positioning system (GPS) A worldwide satellite-based tracking system that enables users to determine their position anywhere on the earth.
government-to-business (G2B) E-government category that includes interactions between governments and businesses (government selling to businesses and providing them with services and businesses selling products and services to the government).
government-to-citizens (G2C) E-government category that includes all the interactions between a government and its citizens.
government-to-employees (G2E) E-government category that includes activities and services between government units and their employees.
government-to-government (G2G) E-government category that includes activities within government units and those between governments.
green computing The study and practice of ecofriendly computing resources; is now a key concern of businesses in all industries—not just environmental organizations.
green IT Green IT begins with manufacturers producing environmentally friendly products and encouraging IT departments to consider more friendly options like virtualization, power management, and proper recycling habits.
group purchasing The aggregation of orders from several buyers into volume purchases so that better prices can be negotiated.
general controls Controls established to protect the system regardless of the specific application. For example, protecting hardware and controlling access to the data center are independent of the specific application.
geographical information system (GIS) A computer system capable of integrating, storing, editing, analyzing, sharing, and displaying geographically referenced (spatial) information.
global positioning system (GPS) A worldwide satellite-based tracking system that enables users to determine their position anywhere on the earth.
government-to-business (G2B) E-government category that includes interactions between governments and businesses (government selling to businesses and providing them with services and businesses selling products and services to the government).
government-to-citizens (G2C) E-government category that includes all the interactions between a government and its citizens.
government-to-employees (G2E) E-government category that includes activities and services between government units and their employees.
government-to-government (G2G) E-government category that includes activities within government units and those between governments.
green computing The study and practice of ecofriendly computing resources; is now a key concern of businesses in all industries—not just environmental organizations.
green IT Green IT begins with manufacturers producing environmentally friendly products and encouraging IT departments to consider more friendly options like virtualization, power management, and proper recycling habits.
group purchasing The aggregation of orders from several buyers into volume purchases so that better prices can be negotiated.
H
hacker Someone who gains unauthorized access to a computer system.
hash A mathematical computation that is applied to a message, using a private key, to encrypt the message.
hit A request for data from a Web page or file.
honeynet A network of honeypots.
honeypot Production system (e.g., firewalls, routers, Web servers, database servers) that looks like it does real work, but that acts as a decoy and is watched to study how network intrusions occur.
horizontal marketplaces Markets that concentrate on a service, material, or a product that is used in all types of industries (e.g., office supplies, PCs).
hacker Someone who gains unauthorized access to a computer system.
hash A mathematical computation that is applied to a message, using a private key, to encrypt the message.
hit A request for data from a Web page or file.
honeynet A network of honeypots.
honeypot Production system (e.g., firewalls, routers, Web servers, database servers) that looks like it does real work, but that acts as a decoy and is watched to study how network intrusions occur.
horizontal marketplaces Markets that concentrate on a service, material, or a product that is used in all types of industries (e.g., office supplies, PCs).
I
identity theft Fraud that involves stealing an identity of a person and then the use of that identity by someone pretending to be someone else in order to steal money or get other benefits.
incubator A company, university, or nonprofit organization that supports businesses in their initial stages of development.
indirect materials Materials used to support production (e.g., office supplies or lightbulbs).
infomediaries Electronic intermediaries that provide and/or control information flow in cyberspace, often aggregating information and selling it to others.
information architecture How the site and its Web pages are organized, labeled, and navigated to support browsing and searching throughout the Web site.
information assurance (IA) The protection of information systems against unauthorized access to or modification of information whether in storage, processing, or transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users, including those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.
information visibility The process of sharing critical data required to manage the flow of products, services, and information in real time between suppliers and customers along the supply chain.
informational Web site A Web site that does little more than provide information about the business and its products and services.
infringement Use of the work without permission or contracting for payment of a royalty.
insourcing In-house development of applications.
integration testing Testing the combination of application modules acting in concert.
integrity Assurance that stored data has not been modified without authorization; a message that was sent is the same message as that which was received.
intellectual property Creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs, used in commerce.
intelligent agents Software applications that have some degree of reactivity, autonomy, and adaptability—as is needed in unpredictable attack situations. An agent is able to adapt itself based on changes occurring in its environment.
interactive marketing Online marketing, facilitated by the Internet, by which marketers and advertisers can interact directly with customers, and consumers can interact with advertisers/vendors.
interactive voice response (IVR) A voice system that enables users to request and receive information and to enter and change data through a telephone to a computerized system.
interactive Web site A Web site that provides opportunities for the customers and the business to communicate and share information.
intermediary A third party that operates between sellers and buyers.
internal control environment The work atmosphere that a company sets for its employees.
internal procurement marketplace The aggregated catalogs of all approved suppliers combined into a single internal electronic catalog.
Internet radio A Web site that provides music, talk, and other entertainment, both live and stored, from a variety of radio stations.
Internet underground economy E-markets for stolen information made up of thousands of Web sites that sell credit card numbers, social security numbers, other data such as numbers of bank accounts, social network IDs, passwords, and much more.
interoperability Connecting people, data, and diverse systems; the term can be defined in a technical way or in a broad way, taking into account social, political, and organizational factors.
intrabusiness EC E-commerce category that includes all internal organizational activities that involve the exchange of goods, services, or information among various units and individuals in an organization.
intranet An internal corporate or government network that uses Internet tools, such as Web browsers, and Internet protocols.
intrusion detection system (IDS) A special category of software that can monitor activity across a network or on a host computer, watch for suspicious activity, and take automated action based on what it sees.
IP address An address that uniquely identifies each computer connected to a network or the Internet.
ISP hosting service A hosting service that provides an independent, stand-alone Web site for small and medium-sized businesses.
identity theft Fraud that involves stealing an identity of a person and then the use of that identity by someone pretending to be someone else in order to steal money or get other benefits.
incubator A company, university, or nonprofit organization that supports businesses in their initial stages of development.
indirect materials Materials used to support production (e.g., office supplies or lightbulbs).
infomediaries Electronic intermediaries that provide and/or control information flow in cyberspace, often aggregating information and selling it to others.
information architecture How the site and its Web pages are organized, labeled, and navigated to support browsing and searching throughout the Web site.
information assurance (IA) The protection of information systems against unauthorized access to or modification of information whether in storage, processing, or transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users, including those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.
information visibility The process of sharing critical data required to manage the flow of products, services, and information in real time between suppliers and customers along the supply chain.
informational Web site A Web site that does little more than provide information about the business and its products and services.
infringement Use of the work without permission or contracting for payment of a royalty.
insourcing In-house development of applications.
integration testing Testing the combination of application modules acting in concert.
integrity Assurance that stored data has not been modified without authorization; a message that was sent is the same message as that which was received.
intellectual property Creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs, used in commerce.
intelligent agents Software applications that have some degree of reactivity, autonomy, and adaptability—as is needed in unpredictable attack situations. An agent is able to adapt itself based on changes occurring in its environment.
interactive marketing Online marketing, facilitated by the Internet, by which marketers and advertisers can interact directly with customers, and consumers can interact with advertisers/vendors.
interactive voice response (IVR) A voice system that enables users to request and receive information and to enter and change data through a telephone to a computerized system.
interactive Web site A Web site that provides opportunities for the customers and the business to communicate and share information.
intermediary A third party that operates between sellers and buyers.
internal control environment The work atmosphere that a company sets for its employees.
internal procurement marketplace The aggregated catalogs of all approved suppliers combined into a single internal electronic catalog.
Internet radio A Web site that provides music, talk, and other entertainment, both live and stored, from a variety of radio stations.
Internet underground economy E-markets for stolen information made up of thousands of Web sites that sell credit card numbers, social security numbers, other data such as numbers of bank accounts, social network IDs, passwords, and much more.
interoperability Connecting people, data, and diverse systems; the term can be defined in a technical way or in a broad way, taking into account social, political, and organizational factors.
intrabusiness EC E-commerce category that includes all internal organizational activities that involve the exchange of goods, services, or information among various units and individuals in an organization.
intranet An internal corporate or government network that uses Internet tools, such as Web browsers, and Internet protocols.
intrusion detection system (IDS) A special category of software that can monitor activity across a network or on a host computer, watch for suspicious activity, and take automated action based on what it sees.
IP address An address that uniquely identifies each computer connected to a network or the Internet.
ISP hosting service A hosting service that provides an independent, stand-alone Web site for small and medium-sized businesses.
K
key (key value) The secret code used to encrypt and decrypt a message.
key performance indicators (KPIs) The quantitative expression of critically important metrics.
key space The large number of possible key values (keys) created by the algorithm to use when transforming the message.
keystroke logging (keylogging) A method of capturing and recording user keystrokes.
keyword banners Banner ads that appear when a predetermined word is queried from a search engine.
knowledge discovery in databases (KDD)/knowledge discovery (KD) The process of extracting useful knowledge from volumes of data.
knowledge management (KM) The process of capturing or creating knowledge, storing it, updating it constantly, disseminating it, and using it whenever necessary.
key (key value) The secret code used to encrypt and decrypt a message.
key performance indicators (KPIs) The quantitative expression of critically important metrics.
key space The large number of possible key values (keys) created by the algorithm to use when transforming the message.
keystroke logging (keylogging) A method of capturing and recording user keystrokes.
keyword banners Banner ads that appear when a predetermined word is queried from a search engine.
knowledge discovery in databases (KDD)/knowledge discovery (KD) The process of extracting useful knowledge from volumes of data.
knowledge management (KM) The process of capturing or creating knowledge, storing it, updating it constantly, disseminating it, and using it whenever necessary.
L
localization The process of converting media products developed in one environment (e.g., country) to a form culturally and linguistically acceptable in countries outside the original target market.
location-based m-commerce (l-commerce) Delivery of m-commerce transactions to individuals in a specific location, at a specific time.
localization The process of converting media products developed in one environment (e.g., country) to a form culturally and linguistically acceptable in countries outside the original target market.
location-based m-commerce (l-commerce) Delivery of m-commerce transactions to individuals in a specific location, at a specific time.
M
macro virus (macro worm) A macro virus or macro worm is executed when the application object that contains the macro is opened or a particular procedure is executed.
maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) Indirect materials used in activities that support production.
malware (malicious software) A generic term for malicious software.
market segmentation The process of dividing a consumer market into logical groups for conducting marketing research and analyzing personal information.
marketspace A marketplace in which sellers and buyers exchange goods and services for money (or for other goods and services), but do so electronically.
mass customization A method that enables manufacturers to create specific products for each customer based on the customer’s exact needs.
maverick buying Unplanned purchases of items needed quickly, often at non-prenegotiated higher prices.
merchant brokering Deciding from whom (from what merchant) to buy products.
message digest (MD) A summary of a message, converted into a string of digits after the hash has been applied.
metadata Data about data, including software programs about data, rules for organizing data, and data summaries.
metric A specific, measurable standard against which actual performance is compared.
microblogging A form of blogging that allows users to write messages (usually up to 140 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group that can be chosen by the user. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, MP3, or just on the Web.
microfinance Refers to the provision of financial services to poor or low-income clients, including consumers and the self-employed.
mobile advertising (m-advertising) Ads sent to and presented on mobile devices.
mobile commerce (m-commerce or m-business) Any business activity conducted over a wireless telecommunications network or from mobile devices.
mobile entertainment Any type of leisure activity that utilizes wireless telecommunication networks, interacts with service providers, and incurs a cost upon usage.
mobile government (m-government) The wireless implementation of e-government mostly to citizens but also to businesses.
mobile portal A portal accessible via a mobile device.
mobile social networking Members converse and connect with one another using cell phones or other mobile devices.
mobile worker Any employee who is away from his or her primary work space at least 10 hours a week or 25 percent of the time.
multichannel business model A business model where a company sells in multiple marketing channels simultaneously (e.g., both physical and online stores).
multimedia messaging service (MMS) The emerging generation of wireless messaging; MMS is able to deliver rich media.
macro virus (macro worm) A macro virus or macro worm is executed when the application object that contains the macro is opened or a particular procedure is executed.
maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) Indirect materials used in activities that support production.
malware (malicious software) A generic term for malicious software.
market segmentation The process of dividing a consumer market into logical groups for conducting marketing research and analyzing personal information.
marketspace A marketplace in which sellers and buyers exchange goods and services for money (or for other goods and services), but do so electronically.
mass customization A method that enables manufacturers to create specific products for each customer based on the customer’s exact needs.
maverick buying Unplanned purchases of items needed quickly, often at non-prenegotiated higher prices.
merchant brokering Deciding from whom (from what merchant) to buy products.
message digest (MD) A summary of a message, converted into a string of digits after the hash has been applied.
metadata Data about data, including software programs about data, rules for organizing data, and data summaries.
metric A specific, measurable standard against which actual performance is compared.
microblogging A form of blogging that allows users to write messages (usually up to 140 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group that can be chosen by the user. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, MP3, or just on the Web.
microfinance Refers to the provision of financial services to poor or low-income clients, including consumers and the self-employed.
mobile advertising (m-advertising) Ads sent to and presented on mobile devices.
mobile commerce (m-commerce or m-business) Any business activity conducted over a wireless telecommunications network or from mobile devices.
mobile entertainment Any type of leisure activity that utilizes wireless telecommunication networks, interacts with service providers, and incurs a cost upon usage.
mobile government (m-government) The wireless implementation of e-government mostly to citizens but also to businesses.
mobile portal A portal accessible via a mobile device.
mobile social networking Members converse and connect with one another using cell phones or other mobile devices.
mobile worker Any employee who is away from his or her primary work space at least 10 hours a week or 25 percent of the time.
multichannel business model A business model where a company sells in multiple marketing channels simultaneously (e.g., both physical and online stores).
multimedia messaging service (MMS) The emerging generation of wireless messaging; MMS is able to deliver rich media.
N
name-your-own-price model Auction model in which a would-be buyer specifies the price (and other terms) he or she is willing to pay to any willing and able seller. It is a C2B model that was pioneered by Priceline.com.
network-based positioning Relies on base stations to find the location of a mobile device sending a signal or sensed by the network.
nonrepudiation Assurance that online customers or trading partners cannot falsely deny (repudiate) their purchase or transaction.
name-your-own-price model Auction model in which a would-be buyer specifies the price (and other terms) he or she is willing to pay to any willing and able seller. It is a C2B model that was pioneered by Priceline.com.
network-based positioning Relies on base stations to find the location of a mobile device sending a signal or sensed by the network.
nonrepudiation Assurance that online customers or trading partners cannot falsely deny (repudiate) their purchase or transaction.
O
on-demand CRM CRM hosted by an ASP or other vendor on the vendor’s premise; in contrast to the traditional practice of buying the software and using it on-premise.
on-demand delivery service Express delivery made fairly quickly after an online order is received.
online analytical processing (OLAP) End-user analytical activities, such as DSS modeling using spreadsheets and graphics, that are done online.
online intermediary An online third party that brokers a transaction online between a buyer and a seller; may be virtual or click-and-mortar.
operational data store A database for use in transaction processing (operational) systems that uses data warehouse concepts to provide clean data.
opt-in Agreement that requires computer users to take specific steps to allow the collection of personal information.
opt-out Business practice that gives consumers the opportunity to refuse sharing information about themselves.
outsourcing A method of transferring the management and/or day-to-day execution of an entire business function to a third-party service provider.
on-demand CRM CRM hosted by an ASP or other vendor on the vendor’s premise; in contrast to the traditional practice of buying the software and using it on-premise.
on-demand delivery service Express delivery made fairly quickly after an online order is received.
online analytical processing (OLAP) End-user analytical activities, such as DSS modeling using spreadsheets and graphics, that are done online.
online intermediary An online third party that brokers a transaction online between a buyer and a seller; may be virtual or click-and-mortar.
operational data store A database for use in transaction processing (operational) systems that uses data warehouse concepts to provide clean data.
opt-in Agreement that requires computer users to take specific steps to allow the collection of personal information.
opt-out Business practice that gives consumers the opportunity to refuse sharing information about themselves.
outsourcing A method of transferring the management and/or day-to-day execution of an entire business function to a third-party service provider.
P
packet Segment of data sent from one computer to another on a network.
page An HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) document that may contain text, images, and other online elements, such as Java applets and multimedia files. It can be generated statically or dynamically.
partner relationship management (PRM) Business strategy that focuses on providing comprehensive quality service to business partners.
patent A document that grants the holder exclusive rights to an invention for a fixed number of years.
payment card Electronic card that contains information that can be used for payment purposes.
payment service provider (PSP) A third-party service connecting a merchant’s EC system to the appropriate acquiring bank or financial institution. PSPs must be registered with the various card associations they support.
penetration test (pen test) A method of evaluating the security of a computer system or a network by simulating an attack from a malicious source, (e.g., a cracker).
permission advertising (permission marketing) Advertising (marketing) strategy in which customers agree to accept advertising and marketing materials (known as “opt-in”).
person-to-person lending Lending done between individuals circumventing the bank’s traditional role in this process.
personal area network (PAN) A wireless telecommunications network for device-to-device connections within a very short range.
personal digital assistant (PDA) A stand-alone handheld computer principally used for personal information management.
personal firewall A network node designed to protect an individual user’s desktop system from the public network by monitoring all the traffic that passes through the computer’s network interface card.
personalization The tailoring of services, products, and advertising content with individual consumers and their specific preferences.
personalized content Web content that matches the needs and expectations of the individual visitor.
phishing A crimeware technique to steal the identity of a target company to get the identities of its customers.
plaintext An unencrypted message in human-readable form.
Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P) A protocol allowing Web sites to declare their intended use of information they collect about browsing users.
pop-up ad An ad that appears in a separate window before, after, or during Internet surfing or when reading e-mail.
pop-up under ad An ad that appears underneath the current browser window, so when the user closes the active window the ad is still on the screen.
prevention measures Ways to help stop unauthorized users (also known as “intruders”) from accessing any part of the EC system.
privacy The right to be left alone and free of unreasonable personal intrusions.
private key Encryption code that is known only to its owner.
procurement The process made up of a range of activities by which an organization obtains or gains access to the resources (materials, skills, capabilities, facilities) it requires to undertake its core business activities.
procurement management The planning, organizing, and coordinating of all the activities related to purchasing goods and services needed to accomplish the organization’s mission.
product brokering Deciding what product to buy.
protocol tunneling Method used to ensure confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted over the Internet by encrypting data packets, sending them in packets across the Internet, and decrypting them at the destination address.
public (asymmetric) key encryption Method of encryption that uses a pair of matched keys—a public key to encrypt a message and a private key to decrypt it, or vice versa.
public e-marketplaces Third-party exchanges open to all interested parties (sellers and buyers).
public key Encryption code that is publicly available to anyone.
public key infrastructure (PKI) A scheme for securing e-payments using public key encryption and various technical components.
packet Segment of data sent from one computer to another on a network.
page An HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) document that may contain text, images, and other online elements, such as Java applets and multimedia files. It can be generated statically or dynamically.
partner relationship management (PRM) Business strategy that focuses on providing comprehensive quality service to business partners.
patent A document that grants the holder exclusive rights to an invention for a fixed number of years.
payment card Electronic card that contains information that can be used for payment purposes.
payment service provider (PSP) A third-party service connecting a merchant’s EC system to the appropriate acquiring bank or financial institution. PSPs must be registered with the various card associations they support.
penetration test (pen test) A method of evaluating the security of a computer system or a network by simulating an attack from a malicious source, (e.g., a cracker).
permission advertising (permission marketing) Advertising (marketing) strategy in which customers agree to accept advertising and marketing materials (known as “opt-in”).
person-to-person lending Lending done between individuals circumventing the bank’s traditional role in this process.
personal area network (PAN) A wireless telecommunications network for device-to-device connections within a very short range.
personal digital assistant (PDA) A stand-alone handheld computer principally used for personal information management.
personal firewall A network node designed to protect an individual user’s desktop system from the public network by monitoring all the traffic that passes through the computer’s network interface card.
personalization The tailoring of services, products, and advertising content with individual consumers and their specific preferences.
personalized content Web content that matches the needs and expectations of the individual visitor.
phishing A crimeware technique to steal the identity of a target company to get the identities of its customers.
plaintext An unencrypted message in human-readable form.
Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P) A protocol allowing Web sites to declare their intended use of information they collect about browsing users.
pop-up ad An ad that appears in a separate window before, after, or during Internet surfing or when reading e-mail.
pop-up under ad An ad that appears underneath the current browser window, so when the user closes the active window the ad is still on the screen.
prevention measures Ways to help stop unauthorized users (also known as “intruders”) from accessing any part of the EC system.
privacy The right to be left alone and free of unreasonable personal intrusions.
private key Encryption code that is known only to its owner.
procurement The process made up of a range of activities by which an organization obtains or gains access to the resources (materials, skills, capabilities, facilities) it requires to undertake its core business activities.
procurement management The planning, organizing, and coordinating of all the activities related to purchasing goods and services needed to accomplish the organization’s mission.
product brokering Deciding what product to buy.
protocol tunneling Method used to ensure confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted over the Internet by encrypting data packets, sending them in packets across the Internet, and decrypting them at the destination address.
public (asymmetric) key encryption Method of encryption that uses a pair of matched keys—a public key to encrypt a message and a private key to decrypt it, or vice versa.
public e-marketplaces Third-party exchanges open to all interested parties (sellers and buyers).
public key Encryption code that is publicly available to anyone.
public key infrastructure (PKI) A scheme for securing e-payments using public key encryption and various technical components.
R
random banners Banner ads that appear at random, not as the result of the user’s action.
real-time location system (RTLS) Systems used to track and identify the location of objects in real time.
referral economy The effect upon sales of consumers receiving a referral or recommendation from other consumers.
regulatory compliance Systems or departments in an organization whose job is to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws, standards, policies, and regulations.
reintermediation The process whereby intermediaries (either new ones or those that had been disintermediated) take on new intermediary roles.
request for proposal (RFP) Notice sent to potential vendors inviting them to submit a proposal describing their software package and how it would meet the company’s needs.
request for quote (RFQ) The “invitation” to participate in a tendering (bidding) system.
reusability The likelihood a segment of source code can be used again to add new functionalities with slight or no modification.
reverse auction (bidding or tendering system) Auction in which the buyer places an item for bid (tender) on a request for quote (RFQ) system, potential suppliers bid on the job, with the price reducing sequentially, and the lowest bid wins; primarily a B2B or G2B mechanism.
risk The probability that a vulnerability will be known and used.
ROI calculator Calculator that uses metrics and formulas to compute ROI.
random banners Banner ads that appear at random, not as the result of the user’s action.
real-time location system (RTLS) Systems used to track and identify the location of objects in real time.
referral economy The effect upon sales of consumers receiving a referral or recommendation from other consumers.
regulatory compliance Systems or departments in an organization whose job is to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws, standards, policies, and regulations.
reintermediation The process whereby intermediaries (either new ones or those that had been disintermediated) take on new intermediary roles.
request for proposal (RFP) Notice sent to potential vendors inviting them to submit a proposal describing their software package and how it would meet the company’s needs.
request for quote (RFQ) The “invitation” to participate in a tendering (bidding) system.
reusability The likelihood a segment of source code can be used again to add new functionalities with slight or no modification.
reverse auction (bidding or tendering system) Auction in which the buyer places an item for bid (tender) on a request for quote (RFQ) system, potential suppliers bid on the job, with the price reducing sequentially, and the lowest bid wins; primarily a B2B or G2B mechanism.
risk The probability that a vulnerability will be known and used.
ROI calculator Calculator that uses metrics and formulas to compute ROI.
S
sales force automation (SFA) Software that automates the tasks performed by salespeople in the field, such as data collection and its transmission.
scalability How big a system can grow in various dimensions to provide more service; measured by total number of users, number of simultaneous users, or transaction volume.
scenario planning A strategic planning methodology that generates plausible alternative futures to help decision makers identify actions that can be taken today to ensure success in the future.
search engine A computer program that can access databases of Internet resources, search for specific information or key words, and report the results.
search engine optimization (SEO) The craft of increasing site rank on search engines; the optimizer uses the ranking algorithm of the search engine (which may be different for different search engines) and best search phases, and tailors the ad accordingly.
search engine spam Pages created deliberately to trick the search engine into offering inappropriate, redundant, or poor-quality search results.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Protocol that utilizes standard certificates for authentication and data encryption to ensure privacy or confidentiality.
self-hosting When a business acquires the hardware, software, staff, and dedicated telecommunications services necessary to set up and manage its own Web site.
sell-side e-marketplace A Web-based marketplace in which one company sells to many business buyers from e-catalogs or auctions, frequently over an extranet.
Semantic Web An evolving extension of the Web in which Web content can be expressed not only in natural language, but also in a form that can be understood, interpreted, and used by intelligent computer software agents, permitting them to find, share, and integrate information more easily.
service-level agreement (SLA) A formal agreement regarding the division of work between a company and a vendor.
settlement Transferring money from the buyer’s to the merchant’s account.
shopping portals Gateways to e-storefronts and e-malls; may be comprehensive or niche oriented.
shopping robots (shopping agents or shopbots) Tools that scout the Web on behalf of consumers who specify search criteria.
short message service (SMS) A service that supports the sending and receiving of short text messages on mobile phones.
site navigation Aids that help visitors find the information they need quickly and easily.
smart card An electronic card containing an embedded microchip that enables predefined operations or the addition, deletion, or manipulation of information on the card.
smart card operating system Special system that handles file management, security, input/output (I/O), and command execution and provides an application programming interface (API) for a smart card.
smart card reader Activates and reads the contents of the chip on a smart card, usually passing the information on to a host system.
smart phone A mobile phone with PC-like capabilities.
social bookmarking Web service for sharing Internet bookmarks. The sites are a popular way to store, classify, share, and search links through the practice of folksonomy techniques on the Internet and intranets.
social computing An approach aimed at making the human–computer interface more natural.
social engineering A type of nontechnical attack that uses some ruse to trick users into revealing information or performing an action that compromises a computer or network.
social marketplace The term is derived from the combination of social networking and marketplace. An online community that harnesses the power of one’s social networks for the introduction, buying, and selling of products, services, and resources, including one’s own creations. Also may refer to a structure that resembles a social network but is focused on individual members.
social media The online platforms and tools that people use to share opinions, experiences, insights, perceptions, and various media, including photos, videos, and music, with each other.
social network A category of Internet applications that help connect friends, business partners, or individuals with specific interests by providing free services such as photos presentation, e-mail, blogging, and so on using a variety of tools.
social network advertising Online advertising that focuses on social networking sites.
social network analysis (SNA) The mapping and measuring of relationships and information flows among people, groups, organizations, computers, and other information- or knowledge-processing entities. The nodes in the network are the people and groups, whereas the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNAs provide both visual and a quantitative analysis of relationships.
social network service (SNS) A service that builds online communities by providing an online space for people to build free homepages and that provides basic communication and support tools for conducting different activities in the social network.
social networking Social networks and activities conducted in social networks. It also includes activities conducted using Web 2.0 (e.g., wikis, microblogs) not within social networks.
spam The electronic equivalent of junk mail.
spam site Page that uses techniques that deliberately subvert a search engine’s algorithms to artificially inflate the page’s rankings.
spamming Using e-mail to send unwanted ads (sometimes floods of ads).
splog Short for spam blog. A site created solely for marketing purposes.
spot buying The purchase of goods and services as they are needed, usually at prevailing market prices.
spyware Software that gathers user information over an Internet connection without the user’s knowledge.
standard of due care Care that a company is reasonably expected to take based on the risks affecting its EC business and online transactions.
stickiness Characteristic that influences the average length of time a visitor stays in a site.
storebuilder service A hosting service that provides disk space and services to help small and microbusinesses build a Web site quickly and cheaply.
stored-value card A card that has monetary value loaded onto it and that is usually rechargeable.
strategic (systematic) sourcing Purchases involving long-term contracts that usually are based on private negotiations between sellers and buyers.
strategy A broad-based formula for how a business is going to accomplish its mission, what its goals should be, and what plans and policies will be needed to carry out those goals.
strategy assessment The continuous evaluation of progress toward the organization’s strategic goals, resulting in corrective action and, if necessary, strategy reformulation.
strategy formulation The development of strategies to exploit opportunities and manage threats in the business environment in light of corporate strengths and weaknesses.
strategy implementation The development of detailed, short-term plans for carrying out the projects agreed on in strategy formulation.
strategy initiation The initial phase of strategic planning in which the organization examines itself and its environment.
supplier relationship management (SRM) A comprehensive approach to managing an enterprise’s interactions with the organizations that supply the goods and services it uses.
supply chain The flow of materials, information, money, and services from raw material suppliers through factories and warehouses to the end customers.
supply chain management (SCM) A complex process that requires the coordination of many activities so that the shipment of goods and services from supplier right through to customer is done efficiently and effectively for all parties concerned. SCM aims to minimize inventory levels, optimize production and increase throughput, decrease manufacturing time, optimize logistics and distribution, streamline order fulfillment, and overall reduce the costs associated with these activities.
SWOT analysis A methodology that surveys external opportunities and threats and relates them to internal strengths and weaknesses.
symmetric (private) key encryption An encryption system that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt the message.
syndication The sale of the same good (e.g., digital content) to many customers, who then integrate it with other offerings and resell it or give it away free.
sales force automation (SFA) Software that automates the tasks performed by salespeople in the field, such as data collection and its transmission.
scalability How big a system can grow in various dimensions to provide more service; measured by total number of users, number of simultaneous users, or transaction volume.
scenario planning A strategic planning methodology that generates plausible alternative futures to help decision makers identify actions that can be taken today to ensure success in the future.
search engine A computer program that can access databases of Internet resources, search for specific information or key words, and report the results.
search engine optimization (SEO) The craft of increasing site rank on search engines; the optimizer uses the ranking algorithm of the search engine (which may be different for different search engines) and best search phases, and tailors the ad accordingly.
search engine spam Pages created deliberately to trick the search engine into offering inappropriate, redundant, or poor-quality search results.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Protocol that utilizes standard certificates for authentication and data encryption to ensure privacy or confidentiality.
self-hosting When a business acquires the hardware, software, staff, and dedicated telecommunications services necessary to set up and manage its own Web site.
sell-side e-marketplace A Web-based marketplace in which one company sells to many business buyers from e-catalogs or auctions, frequently over an extranet.
Semantic Web An evolving extension of the Web in which Web content can be expressed not only in natural language, but also in a form that can be understood, interpreted, and used by intelligent computer software agents, permitting them to find, share, and integrate information more easily.
service-level agreement (SLA) A formal agreement regarding the division of work between a company and a vendor.
settlement Transferring money from the buyer’s to the merchant’s account.
shopping portals Gateways to e-storefronts and e-malls; may be comprehensive or niche oriented.
shopping robots (shopping agents or shopbots) Tools that scout the Web on behalf of consumers who specify search criteria.
short message service (SMS) A service that supports the sending and receiving of short text messages on mobile phones.
site navigation Aids that help visitors find the information they need quickly and easily.
smart card An electronic card containing an embedded microchip that enables predefined operations or the addition, deletion, or manipulation of information on the card.
smart card operating system Special system that handles file management, security, input/output (I/O), and command execution and provides an application programming interface (API) for a smart card.
smart card reader Activates and reads the contents of the chip on a smart card, usually passing the information on to a host system.
smart phone A mobile phone with PC-like capabilities.
social bookmarking Web service for sharing Internet bookmarks. The sites are a popular way to store, classify, share, and search links through the practice of folksonomy techniques on the Internet and intranets.
social computing An approach aimed at making the human–computer interface more natural.
social engineering A type of nontechnical attack that uses some ruse to trick users into revealing information or performing an action that compromises a computer or network.
social marketplace The term is derived from the combination of social networking and marketplace. An online community that harnesses the power of one’s social networks for the introduction, buying, and selling of products, services, and resources, including one’s own creations. Also may refer to a structure that resembles a social network but is focused on individual members.
social media The online platforms and tools that people use to share opinions, experiences, insights, perceptions, and various media, including photos, videos, and music, with each other.
social network A category of Internet applications that help connect friends, business partners, or individuals with specific interests by providing free services such as photos presentation, e-mail, blogging, and so on using a variety of tools.
social network advertising Online advertising that focuses on social networking sites.
social network analysis (SNA) The mapping and measuring of relationships and information flows among people, groups, organizations, computers, and other information- or knowledge-processing entities. The nodes in the network are the people and groups, whereas the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNAs provide both visual and a quantitative analysis of relationships.
social network service (SNS) A service that builds online communities by providing an online space for people to build free homepages and that provides basic communication and support tools for conducting different activities in the social network.
social networking Social networks and activities conducted in social networks. It also includes activities conducted using Web 2.0 (e.g., wikis, microblogs) not within social networks.
spam The electronic equivalent of junk mail.
spam site Page that uses techniques that deliberately subvert a search engine’s algorithms to artificially inflate the page’s rankings.
spamming Using e-mail to send unwanted ads (sometimes floods of ads).
splog Short for spam blog. A site created solely for marketing purposes.
spot buying The purchase of goods and services as they are needed, usually at prevailing market prices.
spyware Software that gathers user information over an Internet connection without the user’s knowledge.
standard of due care Care that a company is reasonably expected to take based on the risks affecting its EC business and online transactions.
stickiness Characteristic that influences the average length of time a visitor stays in a site.
storebuilder service A hosting service that provides disk space and services to help small and microbusinesses build a Web site quickly and cheaply.
stored-value card A card that has monetary value loaded onto it and that is usually rechargeable.
strategic (systematic) sourcing Purchases involving long-term contracts that usually are based on private negotiations between sellers and buyers.
strategy A broad-based formula for how a business is going to accomplish its mission, what its goals should be, and what plans and policies will be needed to carry out those goals.
strategy assessment The continuous evaluation of progress toward the organization’s strategic goals, resulting in corrective action and, if necessary, strategy reformulation.
strategy formulation The development of strategies to exploit opportunities and manage threats in the business environment in light of corporate strengths and weaknesses.
strategy implementation The development of detailed, short-term plans for carrying out the projects agreed on in strategy formulation.
strategy initiation The initial phase of strategic planning in which the organization examines itself and its environment.
supplier relationship management (SRM) A comprehensive approach to managing an enterprise’s interactions with the organizations that supply the goods and services it uses.
supply chain The flow of materials, information, money, and services from raw material suppliers through factories and warehouses to the end customers.
supply chain management (SCM) A complex process that requires the coordination of many activities so that the shipment of goods and services from supplier right through to customer is done efficiently and effectively for all parties concerned. SCM aims to minimize inventory levels, optimize production and increase throughput, decrease manufacturing time, optimize logistics and distribution, streamline order fulfillment, and overall reduce the costs associated with these activities.
SWOT analysis A methodology that surveys external opportunities and threats and relates them to internal strengths and weaknesses.
symmetric (private) key encryption An encryption system that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt the message.
syndication The sale of the same good (e.g., digital content) to many customers, who then integrate it with other offerings and resell it or give it away free.
T
tag A nonhierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, video clip, or any computer document).
tendering (bidding) system Model in which a buyer requests would-be sellers to submit bids; the lowest bidder wins.
terminal-based positioning Calculating the location of a mobile device from signals sent by the device to base stations.
text mining The application of data mining to nonstructured or less-structured text files.
total benefits of ownership (TBO) Benefits of ownership that include both tangible and intangible benefits.
total cost of ownership (TCO) A formula for calculating the cost of owning, operating, and controlling an IT system.
trademark A symbol used by businesses to identify their goods and services; government registration of the trademark confers exclusive legal right to its use.
transaction log A record of user activities at a company’s Web site.
transactional Web site A Web site that sells products and services.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) As of 1996, another name for the SSL protocol.
Trojan horse A program that appears to have a useful function but that contains a hidden function that presents a security risk.
trust The psychological status of willingness to depend on another person or organization.
turnkey approach Ready to use without further assembly or testing; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate.
tweets Text-based posts up to 140 characters in length posted to Twitter.
Twitter A free microblogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates.
tag A nonhierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, video clip, or any computer document).
tendering (bidding) system Model in which a buyer requests would-be sellers to submit bids; the lowest bidder wins.
terminal-based positioning Calculating the location of a mobile device from signals sent by the device to base stations.
text mining The application of data mining to nonstructured or less-structured text files.
total benefits of ownership (TBO) Benefits of ownership that include both tangible and intangible benefits.
total cost of ownership (TCO) A formula for calculating the cost of owning, operating, and controlling an IT system.
trademark A symbol used by businesses to identify their goods and services; government registration of the trademark confers exclusive legal right to its use.
transaction log A record of user activities at a company’s Web site.
transactional Web site A Web site that sells products and services.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) As of 1996, another name for the SSL protocol.
Trojan horse A program that appears to have a useful function but that contains a hidden function that presents a security risk.
trust The psychological status of willingness to depend on another person or organization.
turnkey approach Ready to use without further assembly or testing; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate.
tweets Text-based posts up to 140 characters in length posted to Twitter.
Twitter A free microblogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates.
U
unique visits A count of the number of visitors entering a site, regardless of how many pages are viewed per visit.
unit testing Testing application software modules one at a time.
up-selling Offering an upgraded version of the product in order to boost sales and profit.
USA PATRIOT Act Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act passed in October 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Its intent is to give law enforcement agencies broader range in their efforts to protect the public.
usability (of Web site) The quality and usefulness of the user’s experience when interacting with the Web site.
usability testing Testing the quality of the user’s experience when interacting with a Web site.
user profile The requirements, preferences, behaviors, and demographic traits of a particular customer.
unique visits A count of the number of visitors entering a site, regardless of how many pages are viewed per visit.
unit testing Testing application software modules one at a time.
up-selling Offering an upgraded version of the product in order to boost sales and profit.
USA PATRIOT Act Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act passed in October 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Its intent is to give law enforcement agencies broader range in their efforts to protect the public.
usability (of Web site) The quality and usefulness of the user’s experience when interacting with the Web site.
usability testing Testing the quality of the user’s experience when interacting with a Web site.
user profile The requirements, preferences, behaviors, and demographic traits of a particular customer.
V
value proposition The benefit that a company’s products or services provide to a company and its customers.
vendor-managed inventory (VMI) The practice of retailers’ making suppliers responsible for determining when to order and how much to order.
venture capital (VC) Money invested in a business by an individual, a group of individuals (venture capitalists), or a funding company in exchange for equity in the business.
vertical marketplaces Markets that deal with one industry or industry segment (e.g., steel, chemicals).
viral blogging Viral (word-of-mouth ) marketing done by bloggers.
viral marketing Word-of-mouth method by which customers promote a product or service by telling others about it.
virtual (Internet) community A group of people with similar interests who interact with one another using the Internet.
virtual (pure-play) e-tailers Firms that sell directly to consumers over the Internet without maintaining a physical sales channel.
virtual (pure-play) organizations Organizations that conduct their business activities solely online.
virtual private network (VPN) A network that uses the public Internet to carry information but remains private by using encryption to scramble the communications, authentication to ensure that information has not been tampered with, and access control to verify the identity of anyone using the network.
virtual university An online university from which students take classes from home or other offsite locations, usually via the Internet.
virtual world A user-defined world in which people can interact, play, and do business. The most publicized virtual world is Second Life.
virus A piece of software code that inserts itself into a host, including the operating systems, in order to propagate; it requires that its host program be run to activate it.
visibility The knowledge about where materials and parts are at any given time, which helps solve problems such as delay, combining shipments, and more.
visit A series of requests during one navigation of a Web site; a pause of a certain length of time ends a visit.
vlog (or video blog) A blog with video content.
voice commerce (v-commerce) An umbrella term for the use of speech recognition to allow voice-activated services including Internet browsing and e-mail retrieval.
voice portal A Web site with an audio interface that can be accessed through a telephone call.
vortals B2B portals that focus on a single industry or industry segment; “vertical portals.”
vulnerability Weakness in software or other mechanism that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an asset (recall the CIA model). It can be directly used by a hacker to gain access to a system or network.
value proposition The benefit that a company’s products or services provide to a company and its customers.
vendor-managed inventory (VMI) The practice of retailers’ making suppliers responsible for determining when to order and how much to order.
venture capital (VC) Money invested in a business by an individual, a group of individuals (venture capitalists), or a funding company in exchange for equity in the business.
vertical marketplaces Markets that deal with one industry or industry segment (e.g., steel, chemicals).
viral blogging Viral (word-of-mouth ) marketing done by bloggers.
viral marketing Word-of-mouth method by which customers promote a product or service by telling others about it.
virtual (Internet) community A group of people with similar interests who interact with one another using the Internet.
virtual (pure-play) e-tailers Firms that sell directly to consumers over the Internet without maintaining a physical sales channel.
virtual (pure-play) organizations Organizations that conduct their business activities solely online.
virtual private network (VPN) A network that uses the public Internet to carry information but remains private by using encryption to scramble the communications, authentication to ensure that information has not been tampered with, and access control to verify the identity of anyone using the network.
virtual university An online university from which students take classes from home or other offsite locations, usually via the Internet.
virtual world A user-defined world in which people can interact, play, and do business. The most publicized virtual world is Second Life.
virus A piece of software code that inserts itself into a host, including the operating systems, in order to propagate; it requires that its host program be run to activate it.
visibility The knowledge about where materials and parts are at any given time, which helps solve problems such as delay, combining shipments, and more.
visit A series of requests during one navigation of a Web site; a pause of a certain length of time ends a visit.
vlog (or video blog) A blog with video content.
voice commerce (v-commerce) An umbrella term for the use of speech recognition to allow voice-activated services including Internet browsing and e-mail retrieval.
voice portal A Web site with an audio interface that can be accessed through a telephone call.
vortals B2B portals that focus on a single industry or industry segment; “vertical portals.”
vulnerability Weakness in software or other mechanism that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an asset (recall the CIA model). It can be directly used by a hacker to gain access to a system or network.
W
Web 2.0 The second generation of Internet-based services that lets people collaborate and share information online in new ways, such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies.
Web 3.0 A term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web. It consists of the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform.
Web 4.0 The Web generation after Web 3.0. It is still mostly an unknown entity. However, it is envisioned as being based on islands of intelligence and as being ubiquitous.
Web bugs Tiny graphics files embedded in e-mail messages and in Web sites that transmit information about users and their movements to a Web server.
Web hosting service A dedicated Web site hosting company that offers a wide range of hosting services and functionality to businesses of all sizes.
Web mining The application of data mining techniques to discover meaningful patterns, profiles, and trends from both the content and usage of Web sites. Also extracting information from Web documents and Web usage.
Web portal A single point of access, through a Web browser, to critical business information located inside and outside (via Internet) an organization.
Web self-service Activities conducted by users on the Web to find answers to their questions (e.g., tracking) or for product configuration.
Web video analytics A way of measuring what viewers do when they watch an online video.
Webcasting A free Internet news service that broadcasts personalized news and information, including seminars, in categories selected by the user.
Webstore (storefront) A single company’s Web site where products or services are sold and usually has an online shopping cart associated with it. Many Webstores target a specific industry and find their own unique corner of the market.
Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) The common name used to describe the IEEE 802.11 standard used on most WLANs.
wiki (wikilog) A blog that allows everyone to participate as a peer; anyone may add, delete, or change content.
WiMax A wireless standard (IEEE 802.16) for making broadband network connections over a medium-size area such as a city.
wireless local area network (WLAN) A telecommunications network that enables users to make short-range wireless connections to the Internet or another network.
wireless mobile computing (mobile computing) Computing that connects a mobile device to a network or another computing device, anytime, anywhere.
wireless wide area network (WWAN) A telecommunications network that offers wireless coverage over a large geographical area, typically over a cellular phone network.
worm A software program that runs independently, consuming the resources of its host in order to maintain itself, that is capable of propagating a complete working version of itself onto another machine.
Web 2.0 The second generation of Internet-based services that lets people collaborate and share information online in new ways, such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies.
Web 3.0 A term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web. It consists of the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform.
Web 4.0 The Web generation after Web 3.0. It is still mostly an unknown entity. However, it is envisioned as being based on islands of intelligence and as being ubiquitous.
Web bugs Tiny graphics files embedded in e-mail messages and in Web sites that transmit information about users and their movements to a Web server.
Web hosting service A dedicated Web site hosting company that offers a wide range of hosting services and functionality to businesses of all sizes.
Web mining The application of data mining techniques to discover meaningful patterns, profiles, and trends from both the content and usage of Web sites. Also extracting information from Web documents and Web usage.
Web portal A single point of access, through a Web browser, to critical business information located inside and outside (via Internet) an organization.
Web self-service Activities conducted by users on the Web to find answers to their questions (e.g., tracking) or for product configuration.
Web video analytics A way of measuring what viewers do when they watch an online video.
Webcasting A free Internet news service that broadcasts personalized news and information, including seminars, in categories selected by the user.
Webstore (storefront) A single company’s Web site where products or services are sold and usually has an online shopping cart associated with it. Many Webstores target a specific industry and find their own unique corner of the market.
Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) The common name used to describe the IEEE 802.11 standard used on most WLANs.
wiki (wikilog) A blog that allows everyone to participate as a peer; anyone may add, delete, or change content.
WiMax A wireless standard (IEEE 802.16) for making broadband network connections over a medium-size area such as a city.
wireless local area network (WLAN) A telecommunications network that enables users to make short-range wireless connections to the Internet or another network.
wireless mobile computing (mobile computing) Computing that connects a mobile device to a network or another computing device, anytime, anywhere.
wireless wide area network (WWAN) A telecommunications network that offers wireless coverage over a large geographical area, typically over a cellular phone network.
worm A software program that runs independently, consuming the resources of its host in order to maintain itself, that is capable of propagating a complete working version of itself onto another machine.
Z
zombies Computers infected with malware that are under the control of a spammer, hacker, or other criminal.
zombies Computers infected with malware that are under the control of a spammer, hacker, or other criminal.
