Passage 2

The impact of e-commerce is happening in phases. In its first phase (1994—1997), e-commerce was about presence: making sure that everybody had a Web site, meeting the demand that every company, large or small, get out there and have at least something on the Internet. People weren’t quite sure why they were doing it, but they knew that they had to have an online presence.

The second phase (1997—2000) of e-commerce was about transactions — buying and selling over digital media. The focus in this phase was on order flow and gross revenue. Some of that was the matching of buyers and sellers who would never have found each other in the past. Some of that was simply taking transactions that would have been done through paper purchase orders and saying that this business was done on the Internet, although the meaning of that change was quite insignificant. But in this phase, the announcements were all about order flow at any cost: why-sell-it-when-you-can-give-it-away business models. As a result, many of the first movers in this phase such as Value America, are either gasping, have gasped their last breath, or are flailing about in a sea of red ink.

Today, e-commerce is entering the third phase (2000-?), with a focus on how the Internet can impact profitability. And profitability is not about increasing gross revenues but rather increasing gross margins. We call this phase e-business, and it includes all the applications and processes enabling a company to service a business transaction. In addition to encompassing e-commerce, e-business includes both front- and back-office applications that form the core of engine for modern business. Thus, e-business is not just about e-commerce transactions or about buying and selling over the Web: it’s the overall strategy of redefining old business models, with the aid of technology, to maximize customer value and profits. To paraphrase Business Week: “Forget B2B and B2C, E-business is about P2P — path to profitability.”

34、Between 1994 and 1997, companies built their web sites mainly because they ____.

电子商务的交易通常涉及几个互动的步骤。 (involve, interactive steps)

应该由你决定是否实施这一计划。(up to, carry out)

愿意买该产品的人越多，价格就降得越多。(the more, the more)

我们要事先准备所有申请材料。(in advance, application materials)

为了获得市场份额，他们必须竭尽全力。(market share, go to lengths)

smart cards

阅读下面的短文，然后把划线的句子翻译成汉语。

It has been a tumultuous time for dot-com start-ups. In fact, Gartner, Inc. estimates that over 75% of e-commerce start-ups will end in failure. (71) [While it is tempting to blame prevailing market conditions for this failure rate, the fact is that early planning ultimately determines the potential success or failure of a start-up.] This whitepaper helps managers understand the characteristics that contribute to successful start-ups. (72) [Importantly, this work also includes a valuable diagnostic survey that helps entrepreneurs quantify the strength of the business and identify problem areas.]

One thing is clear: There are a lot of ways for a new business to go out of business. (73) [Loss of focus, an inability to fulfill customer orders or service, and a mismatch of top management with the corporate culture are but a few common reasons that businesses fail.] To increase the chances of success, managers need to consider four crucial inputs: 

Management/People:The single most vital component of any business, every start-up needs a skilled management team that can execute the business plan, adapt to changing environments, and attract and retain valuable staff.

Market Opportunity:To succeed, a venture requires a business model that is adaptable, scalable, defensible, and able to generate both revenue and profits. (74) [In addition, ma-nagement must recognize the company’s market position and the potential of its ideas in the market.]

Funding:The ability of the venture to raise operating cash in order to establish profitability.

Product and Service:This defines the demand for the product, including the degree to which it addresses customer needs and the ability to provide fulfillment and client service functions.

(75) [By keeping a close eye on these found areas — strong leadership and management, good people, a solid business plan, and a product that people want to purchase—businesses can position themselves to weather inevitable challenges.]

on-line order

human resources

shopping cart