e-commerce software an industry perspective… …sunil bhargava contract cto
TRANSCRIPT
E-Commerce SoftwareE-Commerce Software
an industry perspective…
…Sunil Bhargava
Contract CTO
Personal BackgroundPersonal Background
Started undergrad at GWU at 15– BS – Computer Engineering, 1987– MS – Software and Systems, 1989– D.Sc. – Computer Science, abandoned in 1992
CTO for many web-technology companies– Spent last year at OneSoft, local e-commerce
software and application services provider
Contact: [email protected]
What is e-CommerceWhat is e-Commerce
e-Commerce has become e-Business
Business automation– Web-based by definition– Application by nature
Involving the whole commerce chain– manufactures and customers– suppliers and buyers
The more traditional definitions?The more traditional definitions? Retail (B2C) - Sell-side
– Market peaked last year and still dropping– Bill presentation and payment on the rise
Procurement (B2B) - Buy-side or Sell-side– Market plateau’d last year but stable– Different from when business act as consumers
Collaborative Commerce (B2B2C) - Sell-side– Exploiting and assist the existing channels
Market places - Buy-side and sell-side– Emulate all benefits of real-world, single-product marketplaces
Retail (B2C)Retail (B2C)
Value Proposition– Disinter-mediate the retail channel– Better shopping experience
Personalized up sells Comparison shipping
– Evaporating myth Wider net (anytime; anywhere); lower cost; viral sales
Technical Challenges – International commerce– Multi-lingual content management– Cost effective distribution and fulfillment
Procurement (B2B) Procurement (B2B)
Value Proposition – Disinter-mediate brokers and traders– Buy side
Implementers are large customers Saves money by reducing inventory and purchase costs
– Sell side Implementers are targeting their medium customers Reduces cost of sale and increases revenue per customer
Technical Challenges– International commerce – Automation of custom, non-uniform processes
Collaborative Commerce Collaborative Commerce (B2B2C)(B2B2C)
Value Proposition– Exploit and extend existing channels
Direct market the brand but sell thru traditional channels Enable B2C solutions for franchises and dealers
– Complex selling Value added products and services combinations
Technical Challenges– Managing conflict with e-initiatives of the channel– Supporting variety of business processes, logic, and rules
Market Places (Bs2Bs)Market Places (Bs2Bs)
Value Proposition– Private exchanges
Bring Shopping to the traditionally Buying focus
– Public exchanges Exponential growth in the market place
Technical Challenges– Custom catalog management– Custom and dynamic price management– Complex payment processing support
What is e-commerce Software?What is e-commerce Software?
Front-end– For Visitors and Customers
Web-based by definition
Backend– For enterprise business managers
Merchandisers, Account Mangers, Customer Support, etc.
Middleware– To interface with existing systems
Customer, Inventory, Credit, Payment and Order Processing systems
e-Commerce Front-ende-Commerce Front-end
Web Application Server
Functionality– Personalization and Profiling– Complex, Dynamic Content Presentation
Process Support– Shopping Process– Buying Process
e-Commerce Backende-Commerce Backend
Content Management– Merchandizing– Catalog management– Price and on-line collateral management
Process Support– Customer Support– Anomaly management
Payment or Order processing hiccups
e-Commerce Middlewaree-Commerce Middleware
Payment Processing– Customer specific credit, purchase orders, etc. – Electronic payment including EDI and credit cards
Order Processing– Interface to proprietary, custom enterprise systems– e-enabled systems of large warehouses– e-Services that provide Order Distribution
Inventory Management– Soft and hard reserve functionality– Direct access to specific inventory
The critical success factorsThe critical success factors
Backend System Management Functionality– Support for workflow and process management– Appropriate use of technology for process support– Access control in content management– Business rules in anomaly management
On-line collateral Management– Images, Audio, or Video; for virtual examination– Structured; for comparison shopping
What’s missing?What’s missing?
Community – Polls, Message Boards, Chats, etc.
Services– Fee email, Consumer news and information, etc.
Marketing Campaign Management– Referrals, Affiliates, Banner ads, Emails, etc.
Hot features of the day– ‘Amazon innovations’– Mobile commerce– Shopping robots
What about services?What about services?
Shopping PortalsProcess Re-engineeringe-Services
– Branding– On-line collateral development and management– Search engine placement optimization– Efficiency improvements in web delivery
The e-commerce leadersThe e-commerce leaders
Almost everyone does almost anything
Retail– BroadVision, ATG, Blue Martini, MS Commerce Server
Procurement (buy-side)– CommerceOne, Clarus
Procurement (sell-side)– I2, Manugistics
Collaborative (sell-side)– Click Commerce
Market places– Ariba, VerticalNet
Other important software playersOther important software players Net Perceptions
– Business intelligence for Commerce
eShare– Community and Customer Communication
TaxWare– Almost universal Tax Computations
CyberSource, CyberCash– Credit card authorization with value-added services
webMethods– With ActiveWorks a formidable middleware vendor
Other important service playersOther important service players
OrderTrust– Payment and Order routing
Double-click– Banner ad provider
VeriSign– SSL encryption certificaties
Core Solution RequirementsCore Solution Requirements
Database– Oracle– Microsoft SQL Server
Application Servers– With integrated or separate web server– General purposes AppServers
BEA’s WebLogic, IBM’s WebSphere, Microsoft’s ASP
– Specific AppServers BroadVision, ART Technology Group, Oracle
The vender we love to hateThe vender we love to hate
Front-end: IIS– Web Server– Application Server (ASP)
Choice of languages but scripted
– .Net support Easier deployment of services; complied code
Middleware: BizTalk– Standards (XML) based inter-application
communication broker
Microsoft ContinuedMicrosoft Continued
Backend: Commerce Server– Catalog Management– Customer (profile Management)– Targeting Content to Customers– BizDesk
Campaign management Catalog, Customers, Content management Order Processing including shipping, tax, returns
processing, etc. Traffic, Product view, and product purchase analysis
Important TechnologiesImportant Technologies Everything from the two 400 lbs gorillas
– Oracle– Microsoft
DHTML– Microsoft won the browser wars in e-business
XML– Microsoft’s and IBM’s support for SOAP is promising– webMethods is proving the value in inter-application
communications
Java– Server side – J2EE, JavaBeans, JSP
QuestionsQuestions
Responses
Parting thoughtsParting thoughts
Understand the business behind e-business
It is business application development for users outside the implementer’s company
The line between software or service is blurring