Managing Information Technology

Chapter 7 • E-Business Systems 255

Browser

Search

Engines,

Agents

Push Technology

Java Applets

Customization,

Tracking

XML, Digital

Signature,

Peer-to-Peer

Broadband

DSL and

Cable Modems

Wireless

Applications

for Handhelds

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Web Content

(Without

Interactivity)

Portals,

Credit Card

Processing

FIGURE 7.2 First Decade of Internet Technology Innovations for E-Business

the Web browser are shown in Figure 7.2. (More detailed
discussions on the technologies are provided in Part 1.)
Initially, businesses only had the tools to create a “Web pres-
ence”: Text documents with hyperlinks were loaded on a Web
server to communicate with various stakeholders, including
not just customers and the public but also their financial
backers. Web technologies to support interactivity with the
user were then developed, followed by flashier designs to
capture the “eyeballs” of Web site visitors.
The implementation of secure ways to transmit sen-
sitive transactions and a standard for credit card processing
were catalysts for the development of Web sites with direct
sales capabilities. A consortium that included banks, two
major credit card players (MasterCard and Visa), and other
major industry players (GTE, IBM, Microsoft, and
Netscape) developed this new standard to support
business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions via the Web, and
the first version of Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)
was released in June 1997. Similarly, the implementation
of a digital signature capability was a catalyst for enabling
secure business-to-business (B2B) transactions via the

Internet by the year 2000 (see the box entitled “Digital

Signatures”).

The term “Web portal” emerged to refer to sites that

were designed to be an initial point of access, or gateway, to

other Web sites. Popular Internet portals today include not

only search engines but also news stories, stock prices, and

other sources of information and personal entertainment.

Many businesses also have portals designed for their

employees to provide Web access to the company’s intranet,

which might include self-service applications to facilitate the

collection of employee data for payroll and other HR

systems. Some businesses have also established portals for

business partners, which are accessed remotely using a URL

separate from the company’s public Web site, to provide

selective access to company information (called extranets).

Of course along with the introduction of public Web sites and

extranet sites, firms also needed to provide online channels

for around-the-clock customer service and ensure reliable

and secure Web site hosting. Many firms today use external

service providers to host their Web sites and manage the

security risks associated with the public Internet.