COMMUNITY PROVIDER

• Provide online meeting place where people with similar interest can communicate and find useful information
• People can transact, share interests, photos and videos

                                   

• FACEBOOK

      Facebook is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its website was launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg.

      Since 2006, anyone who is at least 13 years old is allowed to become a registered user of the website, though the age requirement may be higher depending on applicable local laws. Its name comes from a colloquialism for the directory given to it by American universities students.

       After registering to use the site, users can create a user profile, add other users as "friends", exchange messages, post status updates and photos, share videos and receive notifications when others update their profiles. Additionally, users may join common-interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as "People From Work" or "Close Friends".

• GOOGLE +

     Google+ is a social network and social layer for google services that is owned and operated by Google Inc. Google+ launched in June 2011 as a social network. Features included the ability to post photos and status updates to the stream or interest based communities, group different types  of relationships into Circles, a multi-person instant messaging, text and video chat called Hangouts, events, location tagging, and the ability to edit and upload photos to private cloud-based albums. Google executives subsequently described Google+ as "a social layer across all of Google's services", allowing them to share a user's identity and interests..

CONTENT PROVIDER

• Providing digital content such as news, music , photo or video over the web.

• Consumer may for an access the content and can generate income from advertisement space.

 EXAMPLES OF CONTENT PROVIDER

• i TUNES

      iTunes is a media player, media library, online radio broadcaster, and mobile device management application developed by Apple Inc. It is used to play, download, and organize digital audio and videoon personal computers running the OS X and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The iTunes Store is also available on the iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

         Through the iTunes Store, users can purchase and download music, music videos, television shows, audiobooks, podcasts, movies, and movie rentals in some countries, and ringtones, available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Application software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be downloaded from the App Store.

• GAMES.COM

       Games.com is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is organised by the BIU (Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware, English: Federal Association

of Interactive Entertainment Software). 

      It is used by many video game developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware.Gamescom is the world's largest gaming event,  with 335,000 visitors, more than6,000 journalists and 700 exhibitors from 88 countries attending the show inits sixth year.

MARKET CREATOR

• Build digital environment where buyer and seller can meet, search for product, display products and establish prices for those products.
• Can serve B2B and B2C generating revenues from transaction fees.

Priceline.com Commercial 

EXAMPLES OF MARKET CREATOR

• eBAY

    eBay Inc. is an American multinational corporation and e-commerce company, providing consumer to consumer & business to consumer sales services via Internet. It is headquartered in San Jose, California, United States. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyarin 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble. Today, it is a multibillion dollar business with operations localized in over thirty countries.

      The company manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide. In addition to its auction-style sales, the website has since expanded to include "Buy It Now" shopping; shopping by UPC, ISBN, or other kind of SKU (via Half.com); online classified advertisements (via Kijiji or eBay Classifieds); online event ticket trading (via StubHub); online money transfers (via PayPal) and other services. It is not a free website, but charges users an invoice fee when sellers have sold or listed any items.

• PRICELINE.COM

       Priceline.com is an American company and a commercial website that claims to help users obtain discount rates for travel-related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel stays. The company is not a direct supplier of these services; instead it facilitates the provision of travel services by its suppliers to its customers. It is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. Priceline.com is wholly owned by The Priceline Group.

SERVICE PROVIDER

• Provides Web 2.0 application such as photo sharing,video sharing and user generated content as services
• Provides other services such as online data storage and backup

EXAMPLES OF SERVICE PROVIDER

• GMAIL

      Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure web mail, as well as via POP3 or IMAP4 protocols.

      With an initial storage capacity offer of 1 GB per user, Gmail significantly increased the webmail standard for free storage from the 2 to 4 MB its competitors such as Hotmail offered at that time.Individual Gmail messages, including attachments, may be up to 25 MB. 

       Gmail has a search-oriented interface and a "conversation view" similar to an Internet forum.As of June 2012, it was the most widely used web-based email provider with over 425 million active users worldwide. According to a 2014 estimate, 60% of mid-sized US companies were using Gmail. In May 2014, Gmail became the first app on the Google Play Store to hit one billion installations on Android devices.

• DROPBOX

     Dropbox is a cloud storage provider sometimes referred to as an online backup service that is frequently used as a file-sharing service. Dropbox is a personal cloud storage service that is frequently used for file sharing and collaboration.

     The Dropbox application is available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux desktop operating systems. There are also apps for  iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry devices.

• GOOGLE APPS

      Google Apps for Work is a suite of cloud computing productivity and collaboration softwaretools and software offered on a subscription basis by Google.

        It includes Google’s popular web applications including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar, and Google Docs.While these products are available to consumers free of charge, Google Apps for Work adds business-specific features such as custom email addresses at your domain (@yourcompany.com), at least 30GB of storage for documents and email, and 24/7 phone and email support.As a cloud computing solution, it takes a different approach from off-the-shelf office productivity software by hosting customer information in Google’s network of secure data centers, rather than on traditional in-house servers that are located within companies.

PORTAL

• are gateway to Web, sites which users set as their home page
• provide intial point of entry to the Web along wit specialized content and other services.

Yahoo Commercial 

  


EXAMPLES OF PORTAL

• GOOGLE

     Google is an American multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, and software.

    Rapid growth since incorporation has triggered a chain of products, acquisitions and partnerships beyond Google's core search engine. It offers online productivity software including email (Gmail), a cloud storage service (Google Drive), an office suite (Google Docs) and a social networking service (Google+). Desktop products include applications for web browsing, organizing and editing photos, and instant messaging. The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system and the browser-only Chrome OS for a netbook known as a Chromebook.

• YAHOO

      Yahoo Inc. is an American multinational Internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It is globally known for its Web portal, search engine Yahoo Search, and related services, including Yahoo Directory, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News,Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Groups, Yahoo Answers, advertising, online mapping, video sharing, fantasy sports and its social mediawebsite. 

     It is one of the most popular sites in the United States. According to news sources, roughly 700 million people visit Yahoo websites every month. Yahoo itself claims it attracts "more than half a billion consumers every month in more than 30 languages

• BING

         Bing is known previously as Live Search, Windows Live Search, and MSN Search is a web search engine  from Microsoft.

      Bing was unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 28, 2009. Notable changes include the listing of search suggestions while queries are entered and a list of related searches based on semantic technology from Powerset, which Microsoft purchased in 2008.

         On July 29, 2009, Microsoft and Yahoo! announced a deal in which Bing would power Yahoo! Search.

TRANSACTION BROKER

• Salesperson does not represent either party but handles the transaction only
• Middleman roles of facilitating search, contract, regulation and maintenance
• The brokers earned commissions each times a sales transaction is made
• Processing online sales transaction and generating fee each time a transaction is made

Hotels.com Commercial

HOTELS.COM

     Hotels.com is a website for booking hotel rooms online and by telephone. The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its Inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and other types of commercial lodging.

    Hotels.com was established in 1991 as the Hotel Reservations Network (HRN). In 2001 it became part of Expedia Inc. and in 2002 changed its name to Hotels.com. Hotels.com is operated by Hotels.com LP, a limited partnership located in Dallas,Texas, in the United States.

ETRADE.COM

     E*Trade Financial Corporation is a U.S.-based financial services company headquartered in New York. It is a holding company, the major business of which is an online discount stock brokerage service for self-directed investors.

Investors can buy and sell such securities as stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds via electronic trading platforms or by phone. E-Trade Financial also provides investor-focused banking products, primarily sweep deposits and savings products, to retail investors.

BOOKING.COM

    Booking.com is an online booking website started as a small start-up in Enschede in 1996, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands and since 2005 owned and operated by United States based Priceline.

     Booking.com offers online accommodation booking. It claims to have over 540,000 properties globally under contract and that it deals with more than 700,000 room nights reservations per day. In 2013, it accounted for more than two thirds of Priceline's revenue. Booking.com is available in more than 41 languages.

E-TAILER

Changes in the economics of information had create the conditions for entirely new business model. The use of the internet has add extra value to existing products and services or to provide the foundation for new products and services.

Business Model

E-Tailer

Transaction Broker

Market Creator

Content Provider

Community Provider

Portal

Service Provider

• E-Tailor is online retail stores

• sells physical products directly to consumers or to individual businesses.

AMAZON

   Most people know Amazon.com as the world’s largest online retailer. While this is where the company stands in today’s day and age, it is important to note that its history dates back to when it was founded in 1994.

  

   Jeff Bezos incorporated Amazon in July 1994, with the website launching to the public a year later. According to Quora, the original name was going to be “Cadabra,” but Bezos misheard it as “cadaver.”

     It is easy to believe that Amazon has had loads of success since day one, but this is not exactly true. In fact, the company has taken many turns over the years to reach the heights at which it stands today.

    Early on, Amazon was not a retailer of “all things.” Instead, the company focused primarily on books, the first of which was sold out of Bezos’ garage. Of course, this has changed quite a bit over the years as the company now sells everything from toys to clothes to furniture and much more.

     In the early days, it was difficult to look ahead and see Amazon as the number one online retailer in the world – but this is exactly what happened. The company now has separate websites for a variety of markets, including: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, and China among others.

     Although a lot has changed for Amazon over the years, the company has remained true to its roots in many ways.

Interesing Facts About Amazon 

CONSUMER-TO-CONSUMER (C2C)

    Customer to Customer (C2C) markets are innovative ways to allow customers to interact with each other. While traditional markets require business to customer relationships, in which a customer goes to the business in order to purchase a product or service. In customer to customer markets the business facilitates an environment where customers can sell these goods and or services to each other

Example of C2C are :

Mudah.my 

Malaysia's Largest Marketplace  

This site allows anyone to buy and sell in his or her region simply and conveniently. Mudah.my connects millions of buyers and sellers in Malaysia every month by delivering remarkable user experience on the site. Every Malaysian can find something to buy or sell on Mudah.my!

eBay 

The World's Online Marketplace

 ebay enabling trade on a local, national and international basis. With a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses, eBay offers an online platform where millions of items are traded each day.

BUSINESS -TO- BUSINESS (B2B)

Business-to-business (B2B) is electronic commerce involves sales of goods and services among business, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer.

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

    Another example of B2B is business-to-business technology. Business-to-Business technology is a technological service or product sold to a business by another business to accomplish technological tasks . Not all businesses can invent their own technologies, so they have to buy that technology from other businesses or manufacturers of that specific technology.

Examples of business-to-business technology :

1. IT Services

Geek Squad

   This is a U.S based Information technology company, it is a good example of IT companies which will take care of all your Information technology needs in your business. Their so many IT service companies world wide and advice you to work with your local based IT service company because they will understand your technological needs and you can call them at any time. For those in United States, Geek Quad is one of the best IT service company you can embark on to solve your technological needs for your small business. Some of their services include ”Network configuration, Mobile / device / printer support / and much more. Get fast, reliable tech support for your business when you need it.

2. Computers

Apple

    Every business has to use computers to accomplish different business tasks. APPLE makes high end computers and tablets which can be used in business. For those who need powerful desktop computers, you can opt for the iMac desktop computer which starts from $1199, they also have laptops and tablets like the iPad & Mini iPad which can be used by any business  person. Apple has the best hardware and software which you can use in your small business. 

3. Data Storage and Remote Backup

   It is very important to store and backup your business data in a secure place. Computers crash all the time, so you can not save all your business  data on your computer. Now day’s businesses are resorting to remote cloud data storage facilities like Dropbox.com and Box.com. These services will allow you to save all your business documents on high-tech secure servers, and you will be in position to access that information from anywhere, so in this case, data is not locked in one station and these services make sure that your data is encrypted so that 3rd parties like hackers get no access to  this data. Your business is not disaster proof, so any time a disaster will  strike your business and you will lose all important business data,  so try out www.dropbox.com  /www.box.com

EXAMPLE OF B2B COMPANIES ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN SOCIAL MARKETING

• Cisco

   As the popularity of online video continues to grow, as does YouTube potential as a channel for effective social marketing. Network provider Cisco might not be an obvious candidate for attracting a massive following on YouTube, but its channel has more than 33,000 subscribers and almost 5m video views. Part of its success is attributable to the sheer amount of content it uploads, with several videos coming online each day.

•  Adobe

   As part of the launch of its Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 (CS6) products, Adobe came up with a ‘manifesto’ that it called Create Now. It was to serve as the central theme of its branding and marketing efforts, and would tie together its offline and online efforts.

   To promote the launch event in April last year Adobe held a scavenger hunt around San Francisco. Participants had to pick up puzzle pieces from underneath balloons located around the city and return them to Adobe HQ.

   Location tips and product information were shared on Foursquare, Twitter and Instragam, with the overall winner collecting $10,000 and a lifetime membership to the Creative Cloud.

  Adobe also held a scavenger hunt online, where users had to find clues scattered across its websites and on social networks. Both scavenger hunts attracted more than 600 participants on launch day.

   Additionally, Adobe held a ’30 Days of Giveaways’ promotion on Facebook that attracted more than 14,000 new fans and 32m impressions.

Overall, the product launches:

• Received 83,000 social conversations within the first five days, with 97% positive-neutral sentiment.
• Incited more than 3,800 #CreateNow Twitter conversations that generated more than 30m impressions.
• All of this drove 3m+ visits from social media to Adobe.com during the launch, with visitors touched by social accounting for 13% of Creative Cloud subscriptions and as much as 4% for other established Creative Suite products.

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER (B2C)

                 
    There are many ways to classify electronic commerce transaction, one is by looking at the nature of the participants. the three major electronic commerce categories are business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce.

    Another way of classifying electronic commerce transaction is in term of the platforms used by participants in a transaction. Most E-commerce transaction took place using a personal computer connect to internet over wired network.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) is electronic commerce involves retailing products and services to individual  shoppers. Business or transactions conducted directly between a company and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services

For example, someone buying a television set from an electronics retailer would be a B2C transaction. The transaction preceding this, eg, the purchase of components, screens, plastics etc. by the manufacturer, and the sale of the set from the manufacturer to the retailer would be B2B transactions.

Many B2C transactions now take place online, eg, the purchase of books from amazon.co.uk, CDs/DVDs from play.com, or even doing the weekly shopping online at Tesco.

SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY

     In contrast to previous technologies, the internet and e-commerce technologies have evolved to be much more social by allowing users to create and share with their personal friends and a larger worlwide community content in the form of text, videos, music or photos. Using these forms of communication, users are able to create new social networks and strengthen existing ones.

     All previous mass media in modern history, including the printing press, use a broadcast model (one-to-many) where content is created in a central location by experts such as professional writers, editors, producers and directors and audiences are concentrated in huge numbers to consume a standardized product. The new internet and e-commerce empower users to create and distribute content on a large scale, and permit users to program their own content consumption. The internet provides an unique many-to-many model of mass communications.

     For an example, Amazon are among the top e-commerce site worldwide that achieve the seventh rank in Alexa Traffic Rank. Amazon utilizes the use of social network and has about 25 million likes in Facebook and 1.82 million followers in Twitter. Indirectly, these social networks become a marketing platform for Amazon.

PERSONALIZATION/CUSTOMIZATION

     Another extremely powerful aspect of e-commerce not readily and affordably available to traditional commerce is the customization and personalization of marketing efforts made possible through the Internet. With personalization, merchants can target their marketing messages to specific individuals by adjusting the message to a person's clickstream behavior, name, interests and past purchases. The technology also permits customization that is changing the delivered product or service based on user's preferences or prior behavior. Given the interactive nature of e-commerce technology, much information about consumer can be gathered in the marketplace at the moment of purchase. With the increase in information density, a great deal of information about the consumer's past purchases and behavior can be stored and used by online merchants.

     The result is a level of personalization and customization unthinkable with traditional commerce technologies. For instance, you may be able to shape what you see on television by selecting channel, but you cannot change the content of the channel you have chosen. Viewers cannot personalize their viewing experience.  Same applies to reading a newspaper, magazine or listening to the radio.  It is a concrete medium that is presented as it is without the ability to offer a unique, individualized experience capitalizing on individual preferences.

     The Web offers consumers the ability to adjust preferences according to their likes and dislikes.  For example, the web site Tonton has completely changed the television experience, personalizing entertainment. In the past, if you missed your favorite show due to an uncontrollable schedule conflict, you were out of luck until you could catch the show in syndication. In today's Web powered environment, you can simply go online and watch the show. Tonton is just one example and there are numerous other sites that all give control to the individual regarding time and place decisions.  Viewers are still subject to advertisements as a condition of using the site, however they are far less in frequency than on the original show.  With extremely busy schedules, this convenience and control afforded to individuals provides tremendous incentives for loyalty.

     Another example involves reading the New Straits Times.  It requires a lot of time and effort sifting through numerous articles related to your search. Now consider the value offered through the New Straits Times Online, it allows you to set preferences to display articles only related to certain criteria, select the type of news stories you want to see first and gives you the opportunity to be alerted when certain events happen.

     There are many physical retail store that offer product customization via e-commerce. For instance, Adidas, Converse and Nike through NIKEiD. These website enable customers to customize their own shoes, clothes, bags or accessories according to their tastes and preferences. They can choose their own design and colour. An obvious potential advantage of customization is greater customer satisfaction that will leads to greater profit.  Customization also bring product differentiation to the brand. However, there is also potential disadvantage for customer which is the cost.  For example, the customized Adidas shoes are about 30% more costly than the standard line.  Again, the question is whether the incremental volume and strategic advantages overcome this cost.