Globalization and E-Commerce III. The French Enviroment and Policy

According to most indicators, the use of the Internet and the development of e-commerce (over the Internet) in France are below the level that should be reached given the French level of development. This observation can be explained by the late adoption of digital technologies by the French. However, the French lateness is less important for professional uses than for domestic uses. France began to catch up with pioneering countries during 1999-2000, but the collapse Internet bubble reduced the pace of adoption. The French late adoption of digital technologies is partly the result of the strong involvement of France in the development of two pre-existing technologies: Minitel (principally dedicated to B2C) and EDI (dedicated to B2B). Both technologies provided the users with a sufficient level of service to support their business processes, but hindered their propensity to switch to new Internet-based technology. Consequently, most available indicators underestimate the actual level of e-commerce in France, especially the French business readiness to switching to Web-based commerce. The late adoption of technology was not the only inhibitor for e-commerce. In France\u27s recent economic history, decision makers focused for too long on other issues. France had to adapt its economy and its industry to a competitive and global environment. Since the State played a strong role in an economy that was not widely open to competition, a wide set of reforms took place between the mid-1980s and the late 1990s. However, this restructuring policy prepared France for the adoption of e-commerce. as France was transformed into a service economy. Most organizations became more flexible by externalizing non-core activities and by implementing modular principles of organization. French companies went international as well. This new business climate favored the adoption of e-business and e-commerce practice by the end of the 1990s. When macroeconomic and industrial restructurings were achieved, the French government launched a strong information society policy. Since 1998, the government furthered the deregulation of telecommunication services, reshaped the legal framework to adapt to digital technologies, promoted IT training and innovation, and developed e-government. These policies were both a component of and aligned with the year 2000 e-Europe initiative of the European Union (EU), which promoted the development of a strong digital economy. Specific support programs (in RD and development of content) were combined and an intensive effort for legislation and inter-member benchmarking occurred (to stimulate member states to align on the most advanced state), the Commission and the Council of the EU tried try to stimulate development of a dynamic digital industry in Europe, and to boost the adoption of digital technologies and the new-methods of work and business enabled by them. While the European and the French policies impacted the adoption of digital technologies and e-commerce development significantly, they were insufficient to really enable France to catch up. The bursting of the Internet bubble slowed the pace. Moreover, B2C e-commerce was inhibited by the efficiency of the French distribution system that serves at a low cost alternative to the Internet for most of the population. The existing installed base of EDI, especially in the automobile and distribution industries, inhibits B2B e-commerce over the Internet. Consequently, the French e-commerce path of development is unique since it relies less on the Internet than in many other countries. Despite these inhibitors, France is adopting digital technologies and related practices at a higher pace than the other European countries. Within France, e-commerce is quite different in the various regions and industries. The Paris area (one-fifth of the French population), the IT industry, the professional services and distribution industries, and large companies are as intensively digitized as most advanced countries, industries, and companies worldwide. H

The Government\u27s Role in Improving Electronic Commerce Adoption

Electronic commerce has been introduced to the business community at a very fast pace. The Internet’s ease of use in particular resulted to a rapid growth of electronic transactions in a spontaneous manner. Governments world- wide are anxious to control this new means and have to balance between international cooperation and care for specific national needs. In this paper we examine the role of governments in the implementation of a national electronic commerce strategy. We argue that public authorities need to consider key stakeholders in the electronic commerce market and apply different strategies to different stakeholder groups

Internet e comércio internacional de manufaturas: uma aproximação com dados de setores industriais

Existem evidências de que as expectativas geradas no caso da Internet, como elemento capaz de abrir novos mercados às empresas, não estão sendo cumpridas. O propósito deste estudo é analisar a possível relação que existe entre a intensidade com que os setores industriais de uma economia incorporam e aproveitam as TIC e o volume de negócios que contratam nos mercados internacionais, partindo de informação estatística referente à indústria da Espanha.  partir da informação estatística disponível sobre incorporação e uso comercial das TIC, comércio exterior e produção das distintas indústrias espanholas definem-se distintas variáveis, contrastando-se a relação linear entre elas. As indústrias com maior atividade exportadora e importadora são, dessa forma, as que cada vez contratam maior volume de negócios através do comércio eletrônico, particularmente através de distintos canais de comunicação, como EDI, Minitel ou Internet. Sem embargo, chama a atenção a ausência de tal relação, quando se considera o comércio eletrônico realizado exclusivamente através da Internet. Os resultados justificam a necessidade de ações mais intensivas que potencializem o uso dos novos sistemas eletrônicos de comercialização internacional, especialmente no âmbito das pequenas e médias empresas.Il est évident que les expectatives concernant Internet, en tant qu'élément pouvant produire une ouverture de nouveaux marchés pour les entreprises, ne donnent pas de résultats. Le but de cette étude est d'analyser la relation existant entre l'intensité selon laquelle les secteurs industriels d'une économie incorporent les TIC et en tirent profit et le volume d'affaires effectuées sur les marchés internationaux, à partir de l'information statistique en référence de l'industrie d'Espagne. À partir de cette information statistique disponible concernant l'incorporation et l'utilisation commerciale des TIC, le commerce extérieur et la production de différentes industries espagnoles, différentes variables sont définies dont la relation linéaire est contrastée. Ainsi, les industries démontrant une plus grande activité d'exportation et importation sont celles qui ont un volume d'affaires plus important par le biais du commerce électronique, et plus particulièrement par des chaînes de communication différentes, telles qu'EDI, Minitel ou Internet. Il faut cependant observer l'absence de cette relation si l'on considère le commerce électronique réalisé exclusivement par Internet. Le résultat justifie la nécessité d'actions plus intensives permettant l'utilisation de nouveaux systèmes électroniques dans la commercialisation internationale, et plus spécialement pour les petites et moyennes entreprises.Existen evidencias de que las expectativas generadas en el caso de Internet como elemento capaz de abrir nuevos mercados a las empresas no se están cumpliendo. El propósito de este estudio es analizar la posible relación que existe entre la intensidad con que los sectores industriales de una economía incorporan y aprovechan las TIC y el volumen de negocio que contratan en los mercados internacionales, partiendo de información estadística referida a la industria de España. A partir de la información estadística disponible sobre incorporación y uso comercial de las TIC, comercio exterior y producción de las distintas industrias españolas se definen distintas variables y se somete a contraste la relación lineal entre ellas. Las industrias con mayor actividad exportadora e importadora son, asimismo, las que cada vez contratan más volumen de negocio a través del comercio electrónico, particularmente a través de distintos canales de comunicación, como EDI, Minitel o Internet. Llama la atención, sin embargo, la ausencia de dicha relación cuando se considera el comercio electrónico realizado exclusivamente a través de Internet. Los resultados justifican la necesidad de acciones más intensivas que potencien el uso de los nuevos sistemas electrónicos en la comercialización internacional, especialmente en el ámbito de las pequeñas y medianas empresas.Some evidences show how the potential generated by using the Internet as a tool able to open new commercial markets is not being fulfilled. The study´s purpose is to analyze the possible intensity with which the industrial sectors incorporate and take advantage of the Internet and the volume of business generated in international markets, based on statistical information referring to Spanish industry. Starting from the available statistical information on the incorporation and commercial use of ICT, the foreign trade and production of various Spanish industries are assigned different variables and the lineal relationships among them are contrasted. Those industries with the largest importing and exporting activities are, at the same time, those that get more and more business via electronic commerce, particularly through different communication channels, such as EDI, Minitel or Internet. However, it is interesting to note the absence of this kind of relationship when we look at the e-commerce carried out exclusively through the Internet. The results justify the necessity of taking more intensive actions to improve the use of the new electronic systems in the international commercialization, especially in the environment of the small and medium sized companies

E-Commerce Technology For Sustainable Solutions

Electronic Commerce is the Modern Business Methodology :-To improve quality/services/speed of delivery; more commonly associated with buying and selling of information, products and services via computer networks today; Latest and dependable way to deliver electronic transactions by computer to computer communication combined with (JIT) ; Just in time manufacturing methods; EDI and email used for many years. e-commerce is a transaction of buying or selling online. Electronic commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GETS INTO SPACE

Information Technology is changing the nature of organizations and the way all of us work. IT design variables make it possible to create new organization structures and new modes of operation. The second order impact of these new types of organizations and working arrangements is on physical space: virtual organizations, highly mobile work forces and electronic commerce will change the demand for and nature of office, retail and industrial space. Yet a third-order impact of this technology will be changes in cities, suburbs and rural areas brought about by these new trends in space.Information Systems Working Papers Serie