E-Business is still in its early stages of development. As illustrated in Figure 1, e-business practices will
transition from e-commerce with emphasis on cost/price reductions and speed to e-marketing where
attention shifts to customer acquisition and retention and value enhancement through customization and
support services to true e-business. In a few years time, the term e-business will probably not be used.
The talk again will be about business because every business will be an e-business. Using Internet
technology, a new way of conducting business has become available. However, the fundamentals of
competition remain unchanged. The next stage of Internet evolution will involve a shift in thinking
from e-business to business, from e-strategy to strategy. Only by integrating the Internet into overall
strategy will this powerful new technology become an equally powerful force for competitive advantage