Unit - 1

E-Commerce

What is E-commerce?
E-commerce involves the use of the Internet, the Web, and mobile apps and browsers running
on mobile devices to transact business. More formally, digitally enabled commercial
transactions between and among organizations and individuals.
E-commerce is the process of buying and selling over the Internet or conducting any transaction
involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods or services through a computer-
mediated network.

Some activities of E-Commerce are:

• Buying and selling products online
• Online ticketing
• Online Payment
• Paying different taxes
• Online accounting software
• Online customer support

E-business
E-Business refers to performing all types of business activities through the Internet. It includes
activities like procurement of raw materials/goods, customer education, supply activities
buying and selling products, making monetary transactions etc over internet. Internet, intranet,
and extranet are used in e-business. Websites, apps, ERP, CRM etc are required for e-business.
E-commerce is considered to be a subset of E-business.
Some activities of E-Business are:
• Online store setup
• Customer education
• Buying and selling product
• Monetary business transaction
• Supply Chain Management
• E-mail marketing
Unique Features of E-commerce:
1. Ubiquity: E-Commerce is ubiquitous, it is available just about everywhere and at all
times by using internet and Wi-Fi hotspots such as airports, coffee cafes and hill station
places. E-Commerce is a ubiquitous technology which is available everywhere. We
have transitioned from a marketplace (a physical place you visit to transact) to a
marketspace (a marketplace extended beyond traditional boundaries and removed
from a temporal and geographic location).
2. Global reach: The potential market size is roughly equal to the size of the online
population of the world. E-Commerce Technology seamlessly stretches across cultural,
regional and national boundaries and enables worldwide access to the client. E-
Commerce websites can translate the multilingual websites as well as allow access to
visitors all over the world, purchase products and make business interactions.
3. Universal standards: The technical standards of the Internet are shared by all nations
around the world. The universal technical standards of e-commerce greatly lower
market entry costs— the cost merchants must pay just to bring their goods to market.
At the same time, for consumers, universal standards reduce search costs—the effort
required to find suitable products. And by creating a single, one-world marketspace,
where prices and product descriptions can be inexpensively displayed for all to see,
price discovery becomes simpler, faster, and more accurate. Users, both businesses and
individuals, also experience network externalities—benefits that arise because
everyone uses the same technology.
4. Richness: Information richness refers to the complexity and content of a message.
Before the development of the Web there was a trade-off between richness and reach:
the larger the audience reached, the less rich the message. E-commerce technologies
have the potential for offering considerably more information richness than traditional
media such as printing presses, radio, and television can because the former are
interactive and can adjust the message to individual users.
5. Interactivity: e-commerce technologies allow for interactivity, meaning they enable
two-way communication between merchant and consumer and among consumers.
Interactivity allows an online merchant to engage a consumer in ways similar to a face-
to-face experience. Comment features, community forums, and social networks with
social sharing functionality such as Like and Share buttons all enable consumers to
actively interact with merchants and other users.
6. Personalization and customization: E-commerce technologies permit
personalization: Merchants can target their marketing messages to specific individuals
 by adjusting the message to a person’s name, interests, and past purchases. Today this
is achieved in a few milliseconds and followed by an advertisement based on the
consumer’s profile. The technology also permits customization—changing the
delivered product or service based on a user’s preferences or prior behavior. Given the
interactive nature of e-commerce technology, much information about the consumer
can be gathered in the marketplace at the moment of purchase.
7. Information density: E-commerce technologies vastly increase information
density—the total amount and quality of information available to all market
participants, consumers and merchants alike. E-commerce technologies reduce
information collection, storage, processing, and communication costs. At the same
time, these technologies greatly increase the currency, accuracy, and timeliness of
information—making information more useful and important than ever.
8. Social technology: E-commerce technologies have evolved to be much more social by
allowing users to create and share content with a worldwide community. Using these
forms of communication, users can create new social networks and strengthen existing
ones.
9. User-Generated Content: Social networks use e-Commerce technologies to allow
members, the general public, to share content with the worldwide community.
Consumers with accounts can share personal and commercial information to promote a
product or service. When a company has a professional social networking account, a
member of the same social network has the option of associating himself with the
company or a product by saying he likes or recommends it. When an individual updates
his status on a social networking account, he may also mention a product or company
by name, which creates word-of-mouth advertising.

Advantages of E-commerce
• Wider (Global) Reach and Market Accessibility
• Cost-Effective Operations: Huge savings on costs of maintaining physical stores,
warehouses, training staff, etc.
• Improved Customer Engagement and Quicker Feedback
• Convenient for Customers
• Personalization and Customization: Individual customers can be targeted with
personalised messages based on data collected on their past internet activity. Further, it
 is easier to provide customers with opportunities to customise their products, services,
etc. as the products can be arranged once the order is placed (demand-pull).
• Disintermediation
• Availability of Data and Analytics: Much easier to collect data on customers and
analyse it for future use. Services like Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics, etc. offer
tremendous help to businesses in analysing large amounts of data.
• Improved Conversion Rates
• Ability to Operate 24/7
• Flexibility and Scalability: The market constantly evolves in India, and customer
preferences can change quickly. As an eCommerce business owner, it is crucial to have
the flexibility to adapt to these changes and stay relevant in the market. With
eCommerce platforms, you can easily add or remove products, change pricing, and
adjust marketing strategies to meet the market’s demands. This level of flexibility can
help you stay ahead of the competition and build a more sustainable business. In
addition, as your business grows, you need to be able to scale your operations to meet
the increasing demand. With eCommerce platforms, you can quickly and efficiently
scale your business without incurring high costs.
• Integration with Other Business Systems: By connecting eCommerce with CRM,
inventory management, and accounting systems, you can enhance the efficiency and
accuracy of your business operations. This approach can help you save time and money
by reducing manual data entry, streamlining workflows, and improving the overall
productivity of your business.

Disadvantages of E-Commerce
• Security Risks
• Dependence on Technology: E-Commerce businesses depend highly on technology,
including web development tools, hosting services, and online payment systems.
Therefore, any technical issue or system outage can disrupt operations and result in a
loss of revenue. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change means that
businesses must stay updated with the latest trends and updates, which can be time-
consuming and costly.
• Increased Competition
 • Customer Service Issues: Providing excellent customer service is critical to the
success of any eCommerce business, and it can be challenging in the Indian market.
For example, online customers may have difficulty navigating the website, finding the
needed products, or processing their payments. Additionally, shipping and delivery
issues, such as delayed or damaged packages, can lead to customer complaints and
negative reviews. To address these issues, businesses must invest in user-friendly
websites and efficient order fulfillment processes and provide timely and effective
customer support.
• Lack of Physical Interaction with Customers
• Shipping and Handling Challenges: Businesses must partner with reliable logistics
providers and develop efficient supply chain management systems that track inventory,
optimize shipping routes, and provide real-time updates to customers.
• Difficulty in Establishing Trust
• Inability to Inspect Products and Limited Sensory Experience: Customers cannot
touch, smell, or taste products, which can be a disadvantage, especially for food,
clothing, and cosmetics.

• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: eCommerce businesses in India are subject to

various legal and regulatory compliance requirements, including data privacy,
consumer protection, and tax laws. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal
issues, which can be challenging for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Initial Investment and Ongoing Maintenance Costs: Setting up an eCommerce
business in India requires a significant initial investment in website development,
technology infrastructure, and marketing. Ongoing maintenance costs, such as website
hosting, security, and updates, can also add up.

Brief History of E-Commerce

Late 1800s to early 1900s- The emergence of large business organisations triggered the need
to create and maintain formal records of business transactions.
1950s – Companies began using computers to store and process internal records, but
information flow continued to be on paper.
1960s – Businesses with large volumes of transactions began exchanging transaction
information over telephone lines. Since this required huge computing infrastructure
development costs, only large firms could afford to set up systems of paperless exchange of
information.
A need was felt to have a set of cross-industry standards for electronic components, mechanical
equipment, and other widely used items.
1979 – The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) chartered a new committee to
develop electronic data interchange (EDI) standards. This committee was called Accredited
Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12) and has members from a wide variety of industries. This
standard permitted firms to exchange commercial documents and conduct digital commercial
transactions across private networks and currently includes specifications for several hundred
transaction sets.
1992 - CompuServe offers online retail products to its customers. This gives people the first
chance to buy things off their computer.
1994 - Netscape arrived. Providing users with a simple browser to surf the Internet and a safe
online transaction technology called Secure Sockets Layer.
1995 - Two of the biggest names in e-commerce are launched: Amazon.com and eBay.com.
1998 - DSL, or Digital subscriber Line, provides fast, always on Internet service to subscribers
across California. This prompts people to spend more time, and money online.
1999 - Retail spending over the Internet reaches $20 billion, according to Business.com.
2000 - The U.S government extended the moratorium on Internet taxes until at least 2005.

Other information on history of E-Commerce, Transition to E-Commerce in India and

IT Act 2000 to be covered from Chapter 1 and 13 of ‘E-Commerce: An Indian
Perspective’ by P.T. Joseph., 2015 (pdfs posted on drive).
Models of E-Commerce:
1. BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER (B2C) E-COMMERCE
B2C is the most common type of e-commerce in which online businesses attempt to reach
individual consumers. B2C e-commerce includes purchases of retail goods; travel, financial,
real estate, and other types of services; and online content.
B2C has grown exponentially since 1995 and is the type of e-commerce that most consumers
are likely to encounter.
Within the B2C category, there are many different types of business models: online retailers,
service providers, transaction brokers, content providers, community providers/social
networks, market creators, and portals.
 2. BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS (B2B) E-COMMERCE

Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, in which businesses focus on selling to other

businesses, is the largest form of e-commerce.
There are two primary business models used within the B2B arena: B2B e-commerce
marketplaces, which include e-distributors, e-procurement companies, exchanges, industry
consortia, and private B2B networks.
For example: Software companies (eg, SAP) which provide cloud services, consultancy
services, etc. to businesses, and platforms like IndiaMART which is India’s largest online B2B
marketplace, connecting buyers with suppliers.

3. CONSUMER-TO-CONSUMER (C2C) E-COMMERCE

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce provides a way for consumers to sell to each

other with the help of an online market maker (also called a platform provider). In C2C e-
commerce, the consumer prepares the product for the market, lists the product for auction or
sale, and relies on the market maker to provide a catalog, search engine, and transaction-
clearing capabilities so that products can be easily displayed, discovered, and paid for. eBay
was the first platform to use this model. On-demand service companies such as Uber and
Airbnb can also be considered C2C platform providers.

4. CONSUMER-TO-BUSINESS (C2B)

The C2B model, also called a reverse auction or demand collection model, enables buyers to
name their own price, often bidding, for a specific good or service generating demand.
The C2B model is a relatively new concept that enables consumers to offer their goods and
services to businesses. It is an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers, allowing
businesses to purchase goods and services from individual consumers on a large scale.
One example of this model is when entrepreneurs pitch inventions to potential investors for
funding. In this case, the consumer is offering their invention or product to the business in
exchange for monetary compensation.
Another example is platforms like Shutterstock where professional and amateur photographers
can upload their photos and earn money by selling them to businesses.

5. DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER (D2C)

This model allows companies to bypass traditional third-party retailers, giving them greater
control over their product distribution and customer relationships. It also enables them to offer
products at lower prices since they are not reliant on a middleman.
Most of the small-scale businesses being run over social media follow D2C model wherein the
customers can directly reach out to them via their social media, website, app or even WhatsApp
and place orders which then get delivered directly to the customers’ doorstep. For example,
Lenskart, Bewakoof, Sugar Cosmetics, Mamaearth, etc.

Benefit to Businesses
The D2C model offers numerous advantages for both the business and consumers. For
businesses, it reduces overhead costs associated with retail outlets, while allowing them to build
stronger relationships with customers through tailored messaging and personalization
strategies.

Benefit to Consumers
Consumers benefit from more product options at lower prices, as well as better customer
service due to direct contact with the company itself. Furthermore, D2C can be used for
marketing purposes by creating brand loyalty and increasing brand visibility on social media
platforms.

The D2C business model provides businesses with a viable option for achieving success in the
eCommerce industry. By offering products directly to consumers at lower prices and
emphasizing personalization strategies, companies can gain a competitive advantage in today’s
online marketplaces while providing customers with a greater value for their money.

6. GOVERNMENT-TO-CONSUMER (G2C)
In the government-to-consumer model, a government sells to consumers; or the government
provides services and information to citizens through online portals and websites. This setup
describes the relationship between public administration and residents.

For example, the consumer might need official documents or simply information from the
government. Other examples include educational services, employment help, and voting.
Whatever the case may be, the G2C model delivers value from a government agency to the
residents it represents.

With G2C e-commerce, all communication and transactions take place online, the government
provides federal and regional websites and e-platforms where consumers can make payments,
access helpful information, and find resources.

Examples of G2C services include:

- Paying taxes
- Obtaining permits
- Renewing licenses
- Accessing public information
- Accessing Social Security benefits
- Accessing healthcare information
- Accessing unemployment benefits

E-RETAILING

An online retailer (sometimes also called an e-retailer or an e-tailer) is a business that enables
customers to shop and purchase via a website and/or mobile app.
In the early years of e-commerce, most e-tailers were purely virtual, without a physical
presence, and many continue to operate in that manner.
Today, however, they have been joined by traditional retailers, many of which now engage in
“omnichannel” retail, selling via websites and mobile apps as well as physical stores. E-tailers
come in all sizes, from giant Amazon to niche websites that sell only a few products. Several
other variations of e-tailers—such as manufacturer-direct (sometimes also referred to as direct-
to-consumer [D2C or DTC])— also exist.

Difference between Traditional and E-Retailing

Basis Traditional Retailing E-Retailing

Physical Requires a physical store Can be done entirely online
Presence presence
Entry Costs Higher; Include costs of Much lesser; costs of establishing a
establishing warehouses, powerful website
fulfillment centers, and physical
stores
Overhead Involves high overhead costs, Requires fewer overhead costs
Costs such as rent, utilities, and staffing
Cost of Much higher Much lower; search engines can
acquiring new almost instantly connect customers
customers to online vendors.
Consumer Requires a lot of cost in terms of Internet greatly reduces both search
Costs money, time and effort on the part costs and transaction costs,
of consumers consumers can use the Web to find
the lowest-cost products.
Customer Offers a more personal and Provides convenience and
experience interactive customer experience accessibility
Product Range Limited space for inventory and Offers a wide range of products and
product display brands
Geographic Is limited to the local customer Allows businesses to reach a global
reach base customer base
Personal The salesperson can use personal No personal selling involved
selling selling tactics to convert a
purchase
Customer Easier to build and maintain Difficult to build and maintain
Relationship relations with customers. relations with customers.
Management
Models of E-Retailing
1. Virtual Merchants
• Virtual merchants are e-commerce firms that generate almost all their revenue from
online sales.
• Virtual merchants face extraordinary strategic challenges. They must build a business
and brand name from scratch, quickly, and in an entirely new channel and must
confront other virtual merchant competitors (especially in smaller, niche areas).
• Because these firms typically do not have any physical stores, they do not have to bear
the costs associated with developing and maintaining physical stores, but they do
face large costs in building and maintaining an e-commerce presence, building an
order fulfillment infrastructure, and developing a brand name.
• Customer acquisition costs are high.
• Like all retail firms, their gross margins (the difference between the retail price of
goods sold and the cost of goods to the retailer) are low.
• Therefore, virtual merchants must achieve highly efficient operations in order to
preserve profits while building a brand name as quickly as possible in order to attract
sufficient customers to cover their costs of operations.
• An example of virtual merchant is Amazon. Other than that, mostly all small-scale
businesses run over social media start from being virtual merchants only and then can
open physical stores if and when they grow big.

2. Omnichannel Merchants
• Omnichannel merchants (also called bricks-and-clicks companies) have a network
of physical stores as their primary retail channel but also have online offerings.
• Successful omnichannel firms include Decathlon, Domino’s, Westside, and other
brand-name merchants.
• Although omnichannel merchants face high costs of physical buildings and large
sales staffs, they also have many advantages such as a brand name, a national
customer base, warehouses, a large scale (giving them leverage with suppliers),
and a trained staff.
 • Acquiring customers is less expensive because of their brand names, but these firms
face challenges in coordinating prices across channels and handling returns of
online purchases at their retail outlets.
• However, these retail players are accustomed to operating on very thin margins and
have invested heavily in purchasing and inventory control systems to control costs
and in coordinating returns from multiple locations.
• Omnichannel companies face the challenges of leveraging their strengths and assets
to the Web; building a credible website; hiring new, skilled staff; and building
rapid-response order entry and fulfillment systems.

3. Manufacturer-Direct
• Manufacturer-direct (also sometimes referred to as direct-to-consumer [DTC or D2C])
firms are either single- or multi-channel manufacturers that sell directly online to
consumers without the intervention of retailers.
• DTC has become a thriving business model, particularly in the computer hardware
industry (Apple, Dell, and HP) and for apparel manufacturers (Bewakoof, Nike, Under
Armour, and many others).
• Within the last decade, a new breed of manufacturer-direct firms has also emerged,
sometimes referred to as digital native D2C verticals.
• Digital native D2C verticals are online startup companies focused on direct sourcing
of materials, control of their distribution channel, and direct connection to the
consumer. These are the brands that start online and then expand to physical stores.
For example, Nykaa, Lenskart, Souled Store, etc.
• Challenges faced:
o Manufacturer-direct firms sometimes face channel conflict challenges.
Channel conflict occurs when retailers of products must compete on price and
currency of inventory directly against the manufacturer, who does not face the
costs of maintaining inventory, physical stores, or sales staffs.
o Firms with no prior direct marketing experience face the additional challenges
of developing a fast-response online order and fulfillment system, acquiring
customers, and coordinating their supply chains with market demand.
 o Switching from a supply-push model (where products are made prior to orders
received based on estimated demand and then stored in warehouses awaiting
sale) to a demand-pull model (where products are not built until an order is
received) has proved extremely difficult for traditional manufacturers.
• Advantages:
o Manufacturer-direct firms have the advantages of an established national brand
name; an existing, large customer base; and a lower cost structure than even
catalog merchants because they are the manufacturers of the goods and thus do
not pay profits to anyone else.
o Therefore, manufacturer-direct firms should have higher margins.

4. Catalog Merchants
• These retailers mail catalogs to their customers and maintain showrooms where
customers can order products. They are also known as mail-order houses.
• If retailers want to survive this competitive environment, they will have to upgrade
catalogues with new information about the products and services.
• Good pricing strategy and eye-catching catalogues stimulate interest among buyers and
trigger action among consumers.
• In the USA and Europe, the concept of catalogue shopping has already seen tremendous
growth. However, in India, major players like Hypercity Retail India Limited, Future
Group (online portal), Future Bazaar and Infiniti Retail, a 100 per cent subsidiary of
Tata Sons have just ventured into a new initiative of catalogue and online shopping.
• Catalog firms were uniquely advantaged during the early days of e-commerce because
they already possessed very efficient order entry and fulfilment systems.
• However, they later faced many of the same challenges as physical retailers—they had
to leverage their existing assets and competencies to a new technology environment,
build a credible online presence, and hire new staff.

E-Services
• E-commerce in the service sector offers extraordinary opportunities to deliver
information, knowledge, and transaction efficiencies.
 • Major service industry groups include finance, Insurance, real estate, and travel
services.
• Business, health, education, and professional services such as legal and accounting are
also important service sector industries.
• Business services include activities such as consulting, advertising, marketing, and
information processing. Within these groups, companies can be further categorized into
those that involve transaction brokering (acting as an intermediary to facilitate a
transaction) and those that involve providing a “hands-on” service.
• Examples of transaction brokering services: platforms like Zerodha which acts as
stockbrokers to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers; and platforms like
LinkedIn which puts the “buyer” of labor in contact with a “seller” of labor.
• In the case of “hands-on” services, the parties providing the service need to interact
directly and in person with the “client.”
• The Internet can assist providers of such services by enabling consumers to more easily
find information about, and communicate with, those providers. For example,
consultancy services, marketing analysts, etc.

Categories of E-Services

Online Financial Services

• Fintech: Fintech, or financial technology, refers to the technological innovation in the

design and delivery of financial services and products. These are tech companies
outside the traditional financial services industries that are seeking to use technology to
unbundle traditional institutional financial services and instead deliver targeted
solutions, often via mobile devices and apps.
• Online Banking: Online banking allows you to conduct financial transactions through
the internet. Online banking offers customers almost every service traditionally
available through a local branch including deposits, transfers, and online bill payments.
• Online Brokerage: An online broker (stock trader) is a trading provider that allows its
clients to open and close positions using a digital platform. Before the internet became
ubiquitous, individual investors would either have to place orders over the phone or
allow their broker to place trades on their behalf.
• Online Mortgage and Lending Services: Online mortgage market is growing, albeit
slowly; it is dominated by established online banks and other online financial services
firms, traditional mortgage vendors, and a few successful online mortgage firms. Many
mortgage shoppers research mortgages online, and they are increasingly beginning to
apply online. An online mortgage broker can help you find the best deal based on your
needs. Online mortgage brokers may charge a fee, procuration fee or get a commission
for their services.
Consumer benefits from online mortgages include reduced application times, market
interest rate intelligence, and process simplification that occurs when participants in the
mortgage process (title, insurance, and lending companies) share a common
information base.
Mortgage lenders benefit from the cost reduction involved in online processing of
applications, which allows them to charge rates that are marginally lower than the rates
of traditional bricks-and-mortar institutions.
Online lending refers to the process of providing loans or financial services to
individuals or businesses through digital platforms, such as websites or mobile apps,
instead of traditional brick-and-mortar institutions like banks. It leverages technology
to streamline the lending process, making it faster, more convenient, and accessible to
a broader range of people. Some examples are RazorPay, Mobikwik, etc.
• Online Insurance Services: The insurance industry forms a major part of the financial
services sector. It has four major segments: automobile, life, health, and property and
casualty. Policybazaar.com is one example of online insurance service.

Online Travel Services

• The Internet has now become the most common channel used by consumers to research
travel options, seek the best possible prices, and book reservations for airline
tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises, and tours.
• Online travel companies offer consumers a one-stop, convenient, leisure and business
travel experience in which travellers can find content (descriptions of vacations and
facilities), community (chat groups and bulletin boards), commerce (purchase of all
travel elements), and customer service.
 • Online travel companies offer much more information and many more travel
options than traditional travel agents can.
• For suppliers—airlines, hotels, and rental car companies—online travel service
companies aggregate millions of consumers into singular, focused customer pools
that can be efficiently reached through online advertising and promotions.
• Online travel companies create a much more efficient marketplace, bringing consumers
and suppliers together in a low-transaction-cost environment.

Some features:
- Travel is an information-intensive product requiring significant consumer research
which can easily be accomplished online.
- Does not require any inventory
- No physical assets
- Online intermediaries like Expedia, Makemytrip, etc. need only build a single interface
for a nationwide audience instead of having to deploy thousands of travel agents.
- No requirement for a multi-channel physical presence.
- As the costs are on the lower side, these services “scale” better

Online Job Recruitment and Career Services

- Traditionally, companies relied on a variety of employee recruitment tools: classified

and print advertising, career expos (or trade shows), on-campus recruiting, private
employment agencies (now called “staffing firms”), and internal referral programs,
which faced severe limitations.
- Online job recruiting and career services overcome these limitations, providing a more
efficient and cost-effective means of linking employers and potential employees
while reducing the total time needed to hire qualified candidates.
- Online recruiting enables job hunters to more easily create, update, and distribute
their résumés while gathering information about prospective employers and
conducting job searches.
- LinkedIn is the largest online job recruitment platform currently.

On-Demand Services
 - On-demand service companies provide a platform that enables the on-demand delivery
of various services by connecting providers (“sellers”) who wish to exploit their “spare”
resources, such as cars, rooms with beds, and the ability to perform various services via
their personal labor, with consumers (“buyers”) who would like to utilize those
resources and services.
- Other common phrases sometimes used to describe these online businesses are “sharing
economy,” “collaborative commerce,” “peer-to-peer consumption,” “mesh economy,”
and “we-commerce.”
- these firms collect a fee for using their platforms from both sellers and/or buyers.
- In the last few years, hundreds of startups have created a plethora of such platforms,
which allow owners of resources that are underutilized to sell access to those resources
to consumers who would prefer not to, or who are unable to, buy those resources
themselves.
- Some examples: Airbnb (lodging), Uber, Ola (transportation) Blinkit, Swiggy, Zomato
(food delivery), Urban Company (home services), Netflix, Disney+ (entertainment),
etc.

Web-enabled Services
Web-enabled services, also known as IT enabled services (ITES), remote services, or tele-
working, include a variety of services that use information technology to improve an
organization's efficiency. Some examples of web-enabled services include:

• Cloud services
Allow team members to access data from anywhere with an internet connection. This is
useful for remote teams or international offices.

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

A communication tool that allows businesses to make calls and send messages over the
internet instead of a phone line. This can help with internal communication for businesses
with offices in different locations. (example: Microsoft Teams)

• Web services
A paradigm that allows applications to interact with each other over the internet, regardless
of their platform or language. Data is transferred between client and server applications in
the form of XML (Extensible markup language) documents. For example, the Java
application can interact with Java, .Net, and PHP applications. So, web service is a language-
independent way of communication.

• Live Chat Support

There are many times when consumers want instant solutions to their queries and issues. For
this particular aspect, live chat support is provided by several service providers and
manufacturers so that the companies can directly interact with the consumers (and the
potential consumers) in the case of any future issues.

Matchmaking Services
Online matchmaking refers to the process of using internet platforms, applications, or services
to connect individuals or entities based on shared interests, preferences, or objectives.
This concept is often associated with dating services where users are matched based on
personal profiles, compatibility algorithms, and mutual interests. However, it can also apply to
other areas such as business networking, gaming, job recruitment, or social connections.

Some common types of online matchmaking include:

1. Dating platforms (e.g., Tinder, Bumble, jeevansathi.com): Users create profiles and
are matched with potential romantic partners based on preferences, location, and shared
interests.
2. Professional matchmaking (e.g., LinkedIn, recruitment platforms): Employers and
job seekers are matched based on skills, experience, and job requirements.
3. Gaming matchmaking: Online gaming platforms pair players with others based on
skill level, location, or game preferences for multiplayer gaming.
4. Business networking matchmaking: Some platforms connect businesses, investors,
or service providers with potential partners, clients, or collaborators based on shared
business interests.