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As well as e-commerce, the experts also talk about e-business. The distinction between the two can be slippery.

Using this distinction, "e-commerce" is about financial transactions, while "e-business" is about all business processes, from marketing and sales to information management and human resources.

Most businesses already use information technology (computers) to a greater or lesser degree in the management of their internal processes.

Many businesses are now connecting to the Internet, and using Internet technologies to communicate and transact with external customers and suppliers, and to market their products on the Web. So there are internal systems, and an external network. Connect the internal systems to the external system, creating one integrated system, and you have e-business. If you want a more technical definition:

E-business merges the standards, simplicity, low cost, and connectivity of Internet technologies with traditional information technology and business processes to create new business value, enable new relationships, and build trust for an enterprise, its customers and its industry.

That all sounds a bit abstract, so here are a few concrete examples of things a company thinking "e-business" might do:

• use e-mail to place orders with suppliers or receive orders from business customers
• give customers access to order and invoice information electronically via a Web site
• replace paper-based systems (internal and external, e. g. purchase orders and invoices) with electronic documents
• share access to documents or other information on an internal network within the business (so that sales staff can get access to sales figures while they're on the road, using their lap-top computers, for instance)
• enable the customer's computer system to "talk" directly (i.e. electronically) to the company's computer system
• obtain customs clearance electronically for incoming shipments of goods, and
• track courier consignments electronically (this can be done by the courier company itself or by its customers)

As you can see, and as the case studies in this guide will demonstrate, outside of the textbooks e-commerce and e-business come in many shades. There are many levels of uptake, from the simple use of e-mail, to a fully e-commerce-enabled Web site that is completely integrated into your internal business systems, as well as those of your key customers and suppliers.The bottom line is that all organisations, not just large corporates, now have an opportunity to take advantage of world-wide networks.

“E-commerce: A Guide for NZ Business”, Ministry of Economic Development