MIS and E-Business – Unit 1: Introduction to E-Commerce

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing the key terms, definitions and concepts introduced in the Unit 1 lecture on E-Commerce. Use them to review core ideas such as e-commerce models, frameworks, social media types, mobile and location-based commerce attributes, and related technologies.

Commerce

The action of buying and selling goods or services of economic value between two or more entities.

E-Commerce

Buying, selling, transporting and trading goods, services and data through the Internet or other electronic media.

E-Business

Conducting all aspects of business over the Internet, including e-commerce, collaboration, information sharing, recruiting, e-learning, and more.

Management Information System (MIS)

An information system that supports business operations, management and decision-making.

E-Commerce Transaction Process

Sequence: product selection → add to cart → online payment → payment confirmation → amount deduction → inventory notification → shipment.

Shopping Cart

Virtual basket within an e-commerce site where selected items are stored before checkout.

One-Time Password (OTP)

A single-use numeric or alphanumeric code sent to authenticate online transactions.

24/7 Availability

Feature of e-commerce allowing customers to access services any time and from any place.

Cashless System

Use of electronic payments (credit cards, debit cards, mobile banking) that eliminates physical cash.

Customer Support (in EC)

Online mechanisms for customers to report issues, review products and give feedback for service improvement.

Automation (in EC)

Automatic handling of transactions, records, reports and inventory management by information systems.

Traditional Commerce

Face-to-face buying and selling of goods and services without electronic processing.

Pure E-Commerce

Transactions where product, process and delivery are all digital (e.g., purchasing an e-book).

Partial E-Commerce

Transactions that mix digital and physical elements, such as ordering a physical product online.

Digital Agent

Electronic channel (e.g., email, download link) used to deliver a product or service.

Physical Agent

Tangible channel (e.g., courier, postal service) used to deliver a product to the customer.

E-Commerce Framework

Conceptual structure that supports applications, people, public policy, marketing, support services, partnerships and infrastructure for EC.

Support Services (EC)

Logistics, payments, content delivery and security functions that enable e-commerce operations.

Business-to-Business (B2B) E-Commerce

Electronic transactions of goods or services conducted between two companies (e.g., Intel selling chips to HP).

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce

Online retail model where businesses sell directly to individual consumers (e.g., Apple.com).

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) E-Commerce

Online model in which consumers sell goods or services to other consumers (e.g., selling a bike on Hamrobazar).

Consumer-to-Business (C2B) E-Commerce

Model where individuals offer products or services to businesses (e.g., freelancing on Upwork).

Business-to-Government (B2G) E-Commerce

Businesses selling products, services or information to government agencies (e.g., IT firm building a government website).

Government-to-Business (G2B)

Government providing online services, information or tenders to businesses (e.g., e-tender portals).

Government-to-Consumer (G2C)

Government websites delivering services directly to citizens (e.g., online tax payment, passport registration).

Electronic Market (E-Market)

Online platform where many buyers and sellers meet to trade using a common technology (e.g., online stock market).

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard electronic format.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Techniques used to increase the visibility of online content in search engine results, aiding product discovery.

Cloud Computing Service Models

IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS—cloud-based resources that lower EC infrastructure costs.

Social Network

Online platform enabling people worldwide to connect, communicate and share content.

Social Networking Service (SNS)

Website or app where users create profiles, post user-generated content, and form connections with others.

Media Sharing Network

Social media type focusing on sharing photos or videos (e.g., Instagram, YouTube).

Discussion Forum

Online venue for sharing news and ideas through posts and comments (e.g., Reddit, Quora).

Social Shopping Network

Platform combining social interaction with online shopping (e.g., Etsy, Polyvore).

Sharing Economy Network

Platform that facilitates peer-to-peer trade of goods and services (e.g., Airbnb, Uber).

Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce)

Conducting e-commerce using wireless handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Mobility (M-Commerce Attribute)

The user’s ability to carry and use a mobile device anywhere.

Broad Reach

Capability to contact or be contacted by users at virtually any time via mobile devices.

Ubiquity (M-Commerce Value)

Availability of products or services at any location and time.

Instant Connectivity

Rapid, easy connection to networks enabling immediate transactions or communication.

Personalization

Customization of information or offerings to an individual customer’s preferences.

Localization

Use of a customer’s geographic location to tailor product or service information.

Location-Based Commerce (L-Commerce)

E-commerce applications that deliver services to customers based on their specific geographic position.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Satellite-based system enabling users to determine precise earth locations for navigation and location services.

Geographical Information System (GIS)

System that relates GPS longitude and latitude data to physical addresses or map features.

Location-Based Mobile System (LBMS)

Smartphone feature providing real-time location tracking for L-commerce applications.

Location-Based Services (LBS)

Applications that use position data to offer navigation, tracking, mapping, directory information, emergency help or targeted ads.