Electronic commerce and business Questions

a) Is e-commerce possible without the Internet? Explain.
No. E-commerce is, by definition, the conduction of business through telecommunication systems. These days, it is almost completely done by Internet. Without the internet, it would be very hard to conduct business. There would be no website to visit, no emails to send.

b) Describe the 3 forms of e-commerce
Business to business: B2B- where a company handles transactions with other businesses and organizations such as its suppliers.
Business to consumer: B2C- retail transactions between an company and individual customers. Examples are amazon.com and other websites that sell to customers through a website
Consumer to Consumer: C2C- individuals, organizations and companies that buy and sell directly with each other over the internet. Example: Ebay

c) What are the purposes of an intranet? What are the main characteristics of an intranet?
The intranet serves to improve communications within an organization, and provide easy access to information. Characteristics include at least one computer with server software installed, and other computers with client software installed, both with TCP/IP. A LAN or WAN is also needed. Middleware handles the communication connections between computers, printers and other devices on the networks. TCP/IP handles communication between client and server computers. Firewalls are used to secure the system.