Purpose

To further investigate this week's topics and to demonstrate your understanding of e-commerce as it relates to business, technology, and society.

Action Items

Choose an industry and a B2B vertical market maker that interests you.

Go online to investigate the size of the industry served, the type of Net marketplace provided, the benefits promised by the site for both suppliers and purchasers, and the history of the company.

You might also investigate the bias (buyer versus seller), ownership (suppliers, buyers, independents), pricing mechanism(s), scope and focus, and access (public versus private) of the Net marketplace.

Write a 2 - 3 page report summarizing your findings, and include references and any necessary appendices (i.e., organizational charts, graphs, etc.).