The Business of Ecommerce: From Corporate Strategy to Technology (Breakthroughs in Application Development) [Kindle Edition]

The well-structured, lightly illustrated and referenced chapters span:

++ getting there- about virtualization, globalization, and intellectualization aspects of business change, and exploitation through origins, recent history, interactivity, connectivity and continuity.

++ a generic business model for e-commerce- local business drivers (copycat, channel development, cost reduction, and partner inclusion), new maps (physical/informational/B2C, B2B, and cross-pollination), and role types (intermediation, disintermediation, reintermediation, and transformation agents).

++ pathfinder application areas- B2C retail, auctions, and advice; and B2B procurement, inventory exchange, and real-time collaboration.

++ technology landscape- data, dynamic networks, security, payment solutions and e-commerce standards.

++ architectures for electronic commerce- logical, technical, and organizational.

++ open issues- legalities (intellectual property, responsibility and privacy, regulation and taxation), technical issues (platform risk, communication disconnect, skills), and market issues (volatility, locus, and trust).

Strengths include: the well-structured `mature' text; the useful lengthy glossary of terms; the attractive style with mostly complete and correct content often supported by useful illustrative anecdotes or supporting materials; and the author's obvious comfortability with discussing some technical aspects supporting e-commerce (1960s EDI, Java, XML, Jini etc..). Weaknesses include: gaps relating to organizational (e-business) development lifecycle necessary to leverage the technology and business models; manufacturing examples with errors (not all manufacturing processes just have discrete steps!); real-time confusion (see any control engineering text for precise & correct definitions); gap relating to object-oriented systems/ virtual organization development (briefly mentioned about 100 pages late!); better referencing and supporting material, and need for more sidebars & illustrations, and about 15% reduced text for same content.

This reviewer got the impression that detailed discussions were avoided to minimize the need for frequent updates/ revisions. Yet perhaps such tabulated comparisons of contemporary tools for applications and organizational development, details of various offerings from major consultancies, and discussion of web-enabled ERP, CRM, CRM, BI (and all those other software acronyms) would have added value for the reader to better implement e-commerce solutions.

Some alternative texts include: the weaker inspiring `Futurize Your Enterprize' by Siegel; the weaker draft `Exploring E-commerce' by Fellenstein/Wood; and Hoque's `E-enterprise' which is initially promising but ultimately unsatisfactory (too much repetition, error, and `jargonism' without support, despite some good charts and structure, to be considered worthwhile).

Overall, a useful and entertaining read- amongst the best books (read by this reviewer) in the last year.

The book also covers the applicable technology at a high level, but not before stressing the importance of a well thought out business plan before diving into incoherent forays on the web. The most startlingly obvious recommendation he made was for companies to encourage and even subsidize their employees experiences on the Internet (a la Ford Motor Company buying PC's for all their employees, allowing access to the internet from work, etc.) since that's the best way to get them e-aware, both as consumers and professionals.

I would definitely recommend this book both for business and technical people. Paul May uses humor and even sarcasm to keep the book light and engaging without skimping on content or credibility.

It splits potential sites into meaningful categories (business-to-business, business-to-consumer, physical goods, virtual goods, etc) and defines their characteristics. This gives you the basis on which to compare your potential ideas, and gives you fresh ideas for services, too.

All in all, excellent content, excellent example sites (places I wouldn't consider visiting, and wouldn't find by accident, like cyberanalysis.com) , and excellent wit when you're not expecting it. It crosses the divide between business and technology successfully.