Enterprise E-Commerce: The Software Component Breakthrough for Business-To-Business Commerce

I read this book several months after it came out. I've reread it sinceand refer to it often. The more I use the book, the more timeless I findits fundamental concepts. Technologies --the telephone, the fax and thecomputer-- have had a major influence on business, but the underlyingbusiness fundamentals do not change. Instead, fundamentals are adaptedby successful corporations to take advantage of technologybreakthroughs. For companies that want to get beyond the crash of thedot-coms in 2000; understand the real significance of the Internet inbusiness; and chart a sustainable e-business strategy, I highlyrecommend Enterprise E-Commerce.

For management fluff, go elsewhere -- for a solid business and technological foundation for e-business, this is the book. It's not often that a book can provide both substance and easy reading. Enterprise E-Commerce does both. It not only explains how the Internet changes business models, it goes below the surface to describe the software needed to implement innovative business processes that cross company boundaries. It also provides an extensive bibliography, online resources which are kept up-to-date, and a comprehensive framework for companies to plan and implement their e-business initiatives in a cohesive manner. The book makes a great companion to -- the Death of e and the Birth of the Real New Economy. Together these books not only provide a compass for navigating e-business, they belong on every manager's desk.

To maintain our standing in the top 10 ten technical MBA programs in the nation, we must prepare our graduates to be the innovative business leaders that will thrive in the Digital Economy. At the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business, we recognize the inseparability of the new e-business models and the technology used to develop and support them. Enterprise E-Commerce fully explores these new business models, cross-company commerce processes, agile software components and digital strategies of electronic business.The book presents a series of very well thought out issues of interest to anyone involved in significant e-commerce endeavors, issues related to digital marketplaces and extending business processes via electronic supply chains from the viewpoint of various players. The software component orientation serves as comfort to those who have suffered through enterprise software development in the past and should bring excitement to those beginning their careers in this area. When time-to market is of concern to developers, it is the only show in town.I complement the authors on their holistic and comprehensive approach to e-commerce and am especially grateful for their insights into how current technology enables significant improvements in extended enterprise models. The book is required reading for our graduate students in Decision and Information Sciences concentrating in e-business. We adopted the book so that we would have the best learning resource available for this brave new world. Dr. Daniel Conway, Decision & Information Sciences Warrington College of Business, University of Florida

Fingar, Kumar and Sharma state that their book is meant for the CEO as well as the CIO. By and large they have succeeded but sometimes you have to work to get the knowledge. They do an excellent job of defining the three phases of e-commerce. Phase one is basically putting your catalog on the web, phase two lets you do some things electronically such as receive orders, manage inventory, pay bills etc. and phase three involves radically redesigning your business and value proposition creating new positioning paradigms, new businesses and entirely new revenue streams. The authors have worked with many leading edge companies in e-commerce and share thier insights and real examples and this alone makes the book worthwhile.The authors sometimes speak in jargon and this is somewhat disconcerting even though the jargon is explained in the text. There are excellent sections - including quotes - on how the technology the authors espouse can be used in business and this is wworth its weight in diamonds. If you are a CEO looking to take your company to new peaks of growth, this book will not only give you invaluable ideas, it will also give you a roadmap. Its a must read.One weakness of the book is that it does not acknowledge, let alone treat, the personnel problems associated with technology and e-commerce. Many reengineering projects have failed because of reluctance to change to new ways of thinking and acting. It is your responsibility to get sources to fill in this gap.If you want to understand how technology is reshaping the world of business, this book is a must read. The resources, suggested readings and bibliography are excellent aids.Srikumar S. Rao is Louis and Johanna Vorzimer Professor of Marketing at Long Island University, Brookville, NY.

This is the book for the new millennium. Excellent reading. Clear, concise, with information from a visionary. Excellent read!