ABSTRACT
Many global networks will be propelled by e-commerce from the fringe into the core of business. E-commerce stands poised to make a momentous contribution to the way government, business, and individuals conduct business, despite the many unknowns in this rapidly changing area. Electronic data interchange (EDI) is an effective medium to deliver electronic transactions between communicating computers. Electronic payment systems are rapidly becoming an inherent part of online business process innovation. Since customers pay online for goods and services, the enabling mechanisms of electronic payment systems and e-commerce play critical roles. Payment is an integral part of the mercantile process, and prompt payment is crucial. Outsourcing organizations, online providers, and customers are moving toward a paperless exchange of business information using EDI, electronic mail (e-mail), electronic bulletin boards, electronic funds transfer, and other similar technologies. It is in high-payoff areas that these technologies are normally applied, recognizing that paper-handling activities usually increase expenses, effort, and time without adding value.
