A reference model for designing an e-commerce curriculum

Abstract

The electronic commerce (e-commerce) revolution has arrived. E-commerce business-to-business revenue is projected to rise from $43 billion in 1998 to $1 trillion in 2003, a 23-fold increase. Consumer purchases online are expected to be worth $380 billion in 2003, up from an estimated $31.2 billion in 1999. The US Internet economy generated a revenue of $301 billion and was responsible for 1.2 million jobs in 1998. The Internet economy has already surpassed traditional sectors, such as energy and telecommunications, and is comparable with the automobile sector. The growth of e-commerce activities has been phenomenal and is expected to increase even further. As a way to structure the analysis of and discussions about e-commerce systems, I propose a reference model for e-commerce. I've used this model to develop a proposal for a graduate program in e-commerce that will help students meet the challenges of e-commerce.