外文翻译电子商务基础

外文原稿一The Basics of E-Commerce and E-Business作者：Christopher L Merrill.国籍：USA出处：/原文正文：1 Origins of Electronic CommerceElectronic Commerce, in the form of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), originated in the 1960s in the United States with independent initiatives in the railroad, retail, grocery and automotive manufacturing sectors designed to strengthen the quality of data they were exchanging with others in the supply chain and using for their internal processes. In the 1970s Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) over secure private networks among financial institutions expanded the use of telecommunications technologies for business purposes, permitting the development of computer-to-computer exchanges of operational business information in the financial field, specifically the transfer of remittances and payments. EDI uses standardized-format electronic documents that replace common paper business documents such as invoices, bills of lading, purchase orders, and purchase change orders, requests for quotations, and receiving advices - the six types of business documents that constitute 85% of the official commercial transactions in the U.S.EDI implementation has been driven primarily by major sect oral players under the coordinating auspices of industry associations. But the overall adoption of EDI was never as widespread as expected, especially among small and medium-sized firms. The diffusion of EDI has been slowed by the high costs of implementing EDI applications and services, as well as on-going VAN costs, and by EDIs technological complexity, requiring more IT expertise than many smaller companies have in-house.Moreover, EDI, to be fully effective within a firm, requires the integration of departmental functions and IT systems, such as ordering, inventory and accounting, which often presented a challenge to EDI-enabled companies. Finally, EDI is a company-to-company initiative and does not deal with the business-to-consumer relationship.Continued demand exists for traditional EDI. Large companies have made substantial investments in EDI infrastructure, have reaped substantial returns and continue to make substantial new investments. But the telecommunications involved has changed from a primarily VAN-based approach to an Internet-based service and the user interface now more commonly resembles the de facto web browser-like standard. This is why the current demand is for IT solutions that bridge the time and technology gap and support EDI as well as Net commerce, while at the same time integrating corporate business systems. Internet EDI (EDI using Internet protocols and networks) radically reduces setup and operating costs while making more trading partners potentially available. The ability of EDI to incorporate the Internet will increase the attractiveness of EDI to an increasingly wider range of trading partners.2 Definitions of Electronic CommerceToday, broad and comprehensive definitions of Electronic Commerce are popular: Electronic Commerce incorporates all value transactions involving the transfer of information, products, services or payments via electronic networks (ITAC, November 1997). Electronic Commerce refers generally to all forms of transactions relating to commercial activities, including both organizations and individuals, that are based upon the processing and transmission of digitized data, including text, sound and visual images (OECD, 1997) Electronic Commerce is about doing business electronically. It is based on the electronic processing and transmission of data, including text, sound, and video. It encompasses many diverse activities including electronic trading of goods and services, online delivery of digital content, electronic fund transfers, electronic share trading, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, online sourcing, public procurement, direct consumer marketing, and after-sales service. It involves both products (e.g. consumer goods, specialized medical equipment) and services (e.g. information services, financial and legal services); traditional activities (e.g. healthcare, education) and new activities (e.g. virtual malls). (European Commission, 1997) Electronic Commerce is a generic term to describe the way organizations trade electronically. It uses a group of technologies to communicate with customers or other companies, to carry out research or information-gathering, or to conduct business transactions. Although the Internet is the best known of these, others include intranets; electronic data interchange (EDI) and smart cards. ( KPMG ,1997).Open-ended definitions of Electronic Commerce encompass an expanding universe of ICT applications within and among firms, including electronic mail, document and workflow, EDI applications in procurement and logistics management, demand-driven manufacturing and retailing, virtual enterprises, and groupware.The OECD has presented a five-level typology of Electronic Commerce definitions: the broadest includes electronic funds transfers and credit card transactions. The second broadest includes the infrastructure that supports Electronic Commerce (service and access providers, equipment manufacturers, etc.); the third broadest encompasses business-to-business electronic transactions, the second level, business-to-consumer without transactions, and the narrowest, business-to-consumer with electronic payments. The scope of these segments will change substantially with technological improvements as, for example, when secure micro payments make widespread consumer involvement in Electronic Commerce possible.An abstract definition of Electronic Commerce that embraces the increasing virtualization of the three components of a market (agents, products and processes) has been put forward by Whinston, Stahl, and Choi (1997). Agents, products, or processes can be physical or virtual. The eight possible combinations of physical or virtual agents, products and processes allow identification of areas of traditional areas of commerce as well as core areas where all types of business services and processes have the potential to become digital products exchanged on a digital network.The advantage of an open-ended definition of Electronic Commerce is that it makes possible the incorporation of emerging and future generations of information and telecommunication technologies into the framework. For example, the convergence of computing, telecommunications, and multimedia is leading to networked interactive multimedia (NIM) based on a technology package that includes fast, inexpensive computers, pervasive thin client but highly intelligent appliances, high bandwidth networking in offices and homes, continued interoperability and open standards, and an evolving multimedia user interface (Ticoll 1997). Such a technology package will have major implications for all industries, with special significance for industries with a service dimension or those that trade in information.However, expansive definitions of Electronic Commerce do not work for those who must measure its amplitude and distribution. This is the case of policy-oriented statistical agencies. Their requirements for precise definitions of Electronic Commerce must deliberately constrain the scope of analysis. For example, the OECD, in order to measure the amplitude and estimate the structure of demand for Electronic Commerce, was obliged to restrict its definition of Electronic Commerce to commercial transaction occurring over open networks (OECD 1997). This is a policy driven definition because the Electronic Commerce policy issues facing the G7 policymakers largely have to do with using open and unsecured networks for commercial transactions. This definition excludes older forms of Electronic Commerce, notably traditional EDI transactions, newer forms of Electronic Commerce such as wireless applications and multimedia, antireform ecommerce applications such as intranets (the most rapidly growing area of Electronic Commerce in 1997), and the Electronic Commerce activities of the public sector, such as defense procurement. Using this restrictive definition, the OECD found that in 1996, one firm (General Electric), did about SUS IB in business that could be called Electronic Commerce, more business-to-business Electronic Commerce. than all the individual business-to-consumer activities and most of the estimated Electronic Commerce totals (OECD 1997: 11). Two European firms, a retailer and an automobile manufacturer, did $US 10B and $US 7B respectively in business-to-business Electronic Commerce, but not over open networks.In summary, the economic value of Electronic Commerce is expected to rise very rapidly in the next few years. This in itself will provide an incentive to create new forms of business, new products and services, and new channels. However the significance of Electronic Commerce lies not just in the quantity of electronic transactions it enables but also in the economic restructuring it will drive.Electronic Commerce will lead to the virtualization of most segments of industry value chains (Lefevbre and Lefevbre, 1998). This will alter the geography of economic activity and modify the economic landscape.3 The Technological Foundations of Contemporary Electronic CommerceAn important issue that arises in educating managers for Electronic Commerce concerns the degree of technological literacy that managers need in order to be successful in an Electronic Commerce environment. We are not referring to basic computer literacy but rather to familiarity with one or more core technologies of Electronic Commerce. To business students with no technical background, Electronic Commerce is a technological black box. Given the rapid changes in information and telecommunications technology and the extent to which new technologies can prompt redefinition of business scope, each firm will require some means of tracking developments in its core technologies. Much of managers demand for awareness activities concerns services designed to provide assistance in making business sense of technological trends.Table1 Electronic Commerce TechnologiesElectronic Commerce Framework The Network Infrastructure for Electronic Commerce The Internet as a Network Infrastructure The Business of Internet Commercialization Network Security and Firewalls Electronic Commerce and World Wide Web Consumer-Oriented Electronic Commerce Electronic Commerce Payment Systems Interorganizational Commerce and EDI EDI Implementation, MIME, and Value-Added NetworksIntraorganizational Electronic Commerce The Corporate Digital Library Advertising and Marketing on the Internet Consumer Search and Resource Discovery On-demand Education and Digital Copyrights Software Agents The Internet Protocol Suite Multimedia and Digital Video Broadband Telecommunications Mobile and Wireless Computing Fundamentals Structured Documents Active/Compound Document ArchitectureIn 1996 Kalakota and Whinston published Frontiers of Electronic Commerce, which is essentially a handbook for managers about the technological foundations of Electronic Commerce. While it covers some material on business models, economics, and cultural or social factors, it mainly describes the panorama of Electronic Commerce technologies for business professionals students, investors, executives, developers, managers, and other professionals seeking an understanding of the fit between Electronic Commerce technology and business applications (Kalakota and Whinston 1996: iv). The book is the best existing descriptive reference text for Electronic Commerce technologies. The technological domain of Electronic Commerce as described by Kalakota and Whinston is listed in Table 1 Electronic Commerce Technologies. More generally, Kalakota and Whinston identify eight network-enabled business practices that comprise todays Electronic Commerce: demand-driven manufacturing, virtual and team-based enterprises, logistics, desktop videoconferencing, document workflow systems, electronic mail, electronic data interchange, and technical data interchange (1997,6).Statistics Canada, in its survey of the diffusion of technologies in service industries in Canada (Statistics Canada 1997), uses a more restrictive definition of Electronic Commerce than the OECD definition cited above. Statistics Canada distinguishes between office equipment technologies, telecommunications technologies, applications technologies, business processes, and a group of specific Electronic Commerce technologies, as set out in Table 2 Technology Diffusion in the Service Sector in Canada, 1996.Kind of technologySpecific technologyUse among service firms in Canada + implementing or gathering informationOffice equipment technologiesPersonal computers67% + 6%Desktop publishing23% + 10%External databases15% + 14%Video conferencing3%+ 9%Telecommunications technologiesWireless communications57%+5%e-mail28% + 19%Internet19% + 22%E-mail to fax14%+ 21%Value-added networks5%+11%Applications technologiesComputerized financial systems60% + 10%Computerized inventory control28% + 16%Point of sale terminal/debit card35% + 6%Computerized order entry27%+ 11%Electronic funds transfer2-%+ 11%Electronic data interchange14%+12%Multimedia/computer-based (raining7%+ 12%Computer-aided software engineering6%+ 5%Business processesTotal quality management13% + 10%Business process reengineering8% + 10%ISO 90002%+ 9%Quick response production6%+ 3%Just in time5%+ 3%Electronic Commerce technologiesBar coding, imaging, optical character recognition, EDI, EDI to fax, electronic forms, e-mail, electronic payments, CD-ROM, electronic information services, optical cards, optical disks, smart cards41% (use at least one)Table 2 Technology Diffusion in the Service Sector in Canada, 1996Table 2 shows how Electronic Commerce/office technologies are diffusing at various speeds. Excluding technologies such as standard telephones and fax machines which are too ubiquitous to mention, the most widespread technologies are multipurpose, low cost ICT platforms such as personal computers and wireless communications technologies (67% and 57% of firms use them). Once this equipment is in place in a firm, then communications and information processing applications can be introduced. Applications of relatively easily automated administrative functions are becoming widespread. Computerized financial systems, inventory control, point of sale technologies, and order entry are reaching or exceeding the 50% penetration rate in firms. Internet worked communications media such as e-mail, Internet, and intranets are being used or considered for use by between a third and a half of all firms. However, the use of formal business process improvement techniques and methods, which require organizational change rather than just installation and implementation of hardware or software, is much less widespread among firms in the service sector.Electronic Commerce is more than the sum of its parts. Electronic Commerce is essentially about doing business electronically, i.e. conducting transactions and maintaining relationships with customers and suppliers. Internetworking and intraorganizational integration, not simple efficiency, are the goals. The challenges of managing Electronic Commerce increase exponentially as the firm moves from isolated, applications of this or that specific technology to applications that require cross functional coordination, integration, management of the extended enterprise (i.e. relationships with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders), and ability to accurately make bets on rapidly emerging markets or technologies.中文译文一电子商务基础作者：Christopher L Merrill国籍：美国出处：http:/www.W/1电子商务起源20世纪60年代,以电子数据交换(EDI)形式进行的电子商务首先在美国的铁路、零售、杂货和机车制造行业兴起，其原本是为了提高他们相互交换以及企业内部使用数据的质量。20世纪70年代，金融机构间通过安全的专用网络开展的电子资金划拨业务扩大了电信技术在企业界的应用促进了财金领域内企业信息（特别是汇款与支付转账信息）在计算机间交换的发展。 EDI采用标准格式的电子文档代替普通的纸质企业文件，如发票装货清单订购单订购变更单、报价单和接受信息六种企业文件，而这六种企业文件占美国正式商业事务的85%。 在相应行业协会的赞助下，主要产业的参与者们一直在推动EDI的实现。但从总体上看，EDI的采用却从来没有达到所期望的普遍程度，特别是在中小企业。由于实现EDI的应用与服务需要的高成本以及增值网成本的持续增长：也由于EDI技术的复杂性，使其需要的IT（信息技术）专业技术人员数量大于小型企业现有的技术人员数量，EDI的推广速度减慢。此外在一个企业如果要充分发挥EDI的效果，需要各部门功能和信息系统的综合。如定购、存货与会计（部门），而这经常表现为对采用EDI企业的挑战。最后，EDI是企业间的行为，而不能处理企业与消费者间的关系。（尽管如此企业）一直需要传统的EDI。大型公司对EDI基础设施投入大量资金，得到可观的回报因而持续进行大量投资。但所便用的电信技术已由原来主要基于增值网的方法变为基于因特网的服务而用户界面也更像网页浏览器。这就是为什么当前需要IT方案来沟通时间与技术以支持EDI以及网络商务，同时使企业系统一体化的原因。基于因特网的EDI大大减少了机构和运行成本。从而产生了更多潜在的贸易伙伴EDI与因特网结合的能力，将在日益广阔的贸易伙伴范围内增加EDI的吸引力。2电子商务的定义今天，广义而全面的电子商务定义十分流行：电子商务的具体表现为各种各样的价值交易，包括各种通过电子网络进行的信息、产品、服务或支付的传递。（加拿大信息技术联合会，1997年1l月）电子商务通常指所有团体及个体从事的、各种与商业活动有关的、基于数字化数据处理与传输技术的交易，而这些数字化数据可以是文本、声音和可视化图像。（经济合作与发展组织1997)电子商务就是电子化地进行商业活动。它基于包括文本、声音和视频等数据的电子化处理与传输。它包含许多个同的活动，如货物与服务的电子贸易、在线数字产品的传输、电子汇款、电子股票贸易、货运电子支付、商业拍卖、合作设计与工程、在线资料收集、公共采购、直接消费行销和售后服务。它既涉及产品（如消费品、专用医疗设备），又包括服务（如信息服务、财金和法律服务）；既涉及传统话动（如保健、教育）涉及新的活动（如虚拟商场）（欧洲委员会1997)电子商务是描述各种团体进行电子化贸易的通称，它使用一组技术与消费者或其他公司进行通信或进行调研与信息采集或进行商业交易，尽管因特网是这组技术中最主要的，但也包括其他技术，如企业内部网、电子数据交换和智能卡，（加拿大KPMG公司，1997）广义的电了商务定义包含了信息与通信技术在企业内和企业间不断扩大的应用，包括电子邮件、文本和工作流程EDI在采购和物流管理方面的应用，需求驱动的制造和零售、虚拟企业和组件。经济合作与发展组织提出了一个电了商务定义的五级分类法：最广泛的包括电子资金转账与信用卡交易，第二广泛的包括支持电子商务的基础设施（服务与访问提供者、设备制造者等），第三广泛的包含企业间电子交易：企业与消费者间没有交易为第二级：最狭窄的一级指企业与消费者间的电子支付。电子商务涉及的范围将随技术的改进而极大地变化，例如安全的微支付技术将使更多的消费者卷入电子商务成为可能。1997年，Whinston. Stahl和Choi围绕持续增长的市场三要素（代理商、产品和过程）的虚拟化提出了一个电子商务的抽象定义。代理商、产品或过程既可以是实际的，也可以是虚拟的，它们的八种组合可用来识别传统商业领域的范围以及“所有企业服务与过程具有转化为通过数字网络进行交换的数字产品的潜力”的核心范围广义电子商务定义的优点在于它可以把正在出现的以及将来产生的信息与通信技术并入其结构框架。例如，计算机技术、电信技术和多媒体技术的交