General

What is E-Business

Matt Kirtok — Mon, 02 May 2005 19:18:00 GMT

What is E-Business ?

Many confuse the difference between e-commerce and e-business. Electronic commerce, B2C, or E-commerce refers to online sales. On the other hand, Electronic Business or E-Business refers to more than just selling online.

E-Business is about utilizing internet technologies, such as simple email, online banking solutions, websites and more sophisticated applications such as web based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Solutions, web based inventory management.

Major goal of E-Business is to increase sales, business eficiency, productivity, streamline business processes and decrease costs.

Here's a definiton of E-Business at darwinmag.com :

What does e-business really mean?

The most basic definition of e-business is simply this: using the internet to connect with customers, partners, and suppliers. But the term also implies the transformation of existing business processes to make them more efficient. To engage in e-business, companies need to be able to unlock data in their back-end computer systems, so they can share information and conduct electronic transactions with customers, partners, and suppliers via the internet. And for some companies, engaging in e-business means adopting new web-enabled business models—auctioning off surplus goods, selling products directly to consumers, or joining in online purchasing cooperatives with their competitors. Without a doubt, embarking on an e-business effort requires as much thinking about business strategy as it does about technology.

The Benefits of E-Business

The Internet and related technologies can change the way you develop and conduct your business processes, making them more time and cost efficient. They can diversify your marketing channels and, ultimately, help you increase your business revenue.

The Internet levels the playing field for small businesses. That is, it allows small business operators to compete on equal footing with larger businesses in the same industry.

Through the Internet, your small business can distribute information online to a global audience, immediately, with little out of pocket expense. This means you’ll reach more clients or customers in a shorter period of time. It gives you the ability to interact with your clients and customers in new ways, putting power in the hands of the buyer, giving your clients or customers more choice than they’ve ever had before.

And finally, the Internet gives you, the seller, the ability to readily assess your online business practices and modify them on the fly to ensure they meet the needs of your clients/customers.

In short, you can use the Internet to:

• Collect vital business information related to your customers and competitors. The Internet is a valuable research tool and, as a readily accessible information medium, its ability to allow you to remain competitive in your industry should not be underestimated.

• Increase awareness about your company. Even if you are not considering selling online, having a website that promotes your business, provides contact information, and outlines your unique value proposition – that is, the unique collection of benefits attributed to your product or service that creates value for your customers or clients – will simply increase your reach and value in the marketplace, and make it easier for your potential clients/customers to find you.

• Streamline communications and improve customer service. Email communications, website FAQs and auto-responders are examples of simple and cost effective electronic techniques that can help improve communications between you and your clients/customers.

• Improve productivity and reduce costs. Simply by streamlining communications using Internet technologies, you can improve your business productivity. And, out-of-pocket costs can be reduced further by implementing a readily updatable website, instead of printed materials that have a short shelf-life, to relay pertinent information to your customer base.

• Sell your products online. For those considering making the leap to ecommerce, selling online can lower your upfront set-up costs and operational costs, increase your reach to a global marketplace, and allow you to be “open” 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Further, it can allow you to automate your order processing and order tracking capabilities, develop cheaper online catalogues, and update your product lists on the fly.

Google Maps and Craigslist Integration

Matt Kirtok — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 16:22:00 GMT

I have found this very interesting tool by Paul Rademacher . It is an Integration of Google Maps and Craigslist . You can search for housing (rent and for sale) for US cities. It's integrated Google Maps and Craigslist.

Since Google Maps is still in beta version doesn't offer its API, I wonder how Paul has created this tool.

There's also a note on the site: “this site is in no way affiliated with craigslist or Google”

This Google Maps and Craigslits Integration Tool is one of the smartest tools/scripts I've seen for a while.

Yahoo Blog Invitation

Matt Kirtok — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:42:00 GMT

After posting the Yahoo Blogs news, I have received some emails asking if I have a Yahoo Blog Invitation . Here's what you should do to get a Yahoo Blog Invitation .

Go to Yahoo Blog Invitation Page and enter your email address. Your email will be entered to the beta list and you will be receiving a Yahoo Blog Invitation soon.

If Yahoo starts sending invitations like Gmail, I will be offering them here for our visitors, but for now I haven't received an invitation yet :)

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Yahoo Blogs Coming Soon

Matt Kirtok — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 13:50:00 GMT

Blog market is getting more interesting. After Google's successful Blogger, now Yahoo will be in the market with its new blog service.

Yahoo Inc. said Wednesday it will soon start invitation-only testing of its new Web log and social networking service Yahoo 360, which aims to better connect users to people they already know.

Hackers Gained Personal Information of 59,000 People at California State University

Matt Kirtok — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 13:41:00 GMT

Identity theft is considered the nation's fastest-growing crime and last year more than 9.9 million Americans were victims.

California State University, Chico spokesman Joe Wills said nearly all the current, former and prospective students, faculty and staff who were affected have been notified of the theft, which happened about three weeks ago. Hackers gained access to the victims' names and Social Security numbers.

Read more about California State University Hacker Attack at CNN .

This is getting scary, and every day there are new online stores coming up with very unsecure shopping carts. Many online store owners believe owning an SSL certificate is the solution to security, but unfortunately it is not.

Turkish AFS (American Field Service) Website

Matt Kirtok — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 04:24:00 GMT

My Turkish readers, please take a look at the new Turkish AFS website when you have time. Turkish AFS volunteers have launched this website, and it's an exciting project.

AFS is the largest international exchange program mostly for high school exchange students, and that's how my US journey started on 1996.

If you'd like to learn more about AFS and/or volunteer for AFS take a look at AFS website (English) : http://www.afs.org

Here's also more information about volunteering for AFS, if you are living in the States.

Over 10 hours a day on the computer

Matt Kirtok — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:25:00 GMT

I have been spending over 10 hours a day on my computer. It is usually 11-12 hours during the week time. It sounds like crazy but sometimes it's not enough to finish the day's tasks. Am I going to die early? Statistically there's not satisfactory data which will prove that I will die early. Maybe next generations will have pretty good data.

I think I should relax a little, and write more on my blog. BTW, probably most of you have already seen this blog, but I saw an article about it on some website, and checked it out, it's story of a flight attendant who got fired after posting her photos to her blog (probably comments she made on the blog about her company has also affected the decision). Here's the link to her blog, check it out: http://queenofsky.journalspace.com/

Second Life Future of Online Gaming

Matt Kirtok — Mon, 08 Nov 2004 16:16:00 GMT

There's an online community game called Second Life, you can visit the website here: http://www.secondlife.com . I've registered and become a member, and it's addictive. This is not a regular game, check it out when you have time. There are some websites where you can buy and sell second life currency (which you earn/lose by playing the game). So this has become a new industry for some companies. You can start your own REAL company in this game, it's just hilarious. Also can you recommend me a video card 64mb or 128mb? reasonable price, and quality. I need to get a new video card.

Have fun and let me know if you like the game.

Another social weekend passed by

Matt Kirtok — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 20:56:00 GMT

I am pretty busy nowadays, and I didn't have a chance to post to my blog. Here's what's going on with my life. Last friday we had a barbeque party at my place, and our friends came over. It was pretty fun. Sunday we went to the musical “Les Miserables” which was on a national tour. I missed my old days, visiting Broadway shows in NY, but this is cool, too to have a Broadway show in Lubbock, TX. You can find more info about Les Miserables Musical on this link. Work is pretty good, I got used to my new job, and people are great here. I am also working on completing my graduate school next semester, and I will have more time to focus on work and social life.

I will keep updating about what's going on in my life as I promised when I started this blog. This will be more a personal blog than an IT blog.

You all take care, and leave a comment if you have a chance about the things going on...

Matt

Coffee & Cigarettes , Worst Movie of All Time

Matt Kirtok — Mon, 11 Oct 2004 20:48:00 GMT

As usual, we have rented some movies last weekend. Since I am from Europe and grew up watching European independant movies, I am always looking for different movies at Hastings. I like the big budget Hollywood movies, but you have to keep up with what's going on with low budget movies. Here we are in Hastings, looking for some movies to rent, and my wife rents the movie called “Coffee & Cigarettes”. We check it out, big big names, such as Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Jarmusch etc.

What's the movie about? Short stories from Jim Jarmusch that all have coffee and cigarettes in common. It is not about how many short stories there are in the movie, it is about how many of them you can stand to watch. This movie was horrible. Black and white, very amateur acting, and pretty bad lightning and scenes. One simple word, horrible. So if you like to spend your money by renting Coffee & Cigarettes, think again.

Here's the IMDB page for Coffee & Cigarettes . Enjoy.