Lecture 4

E-commerce Infrastructure: The Internet, Web, and Mobile Platform

Learning Objectives

Discuss the origins of the Internet Identify the key technology concepts behind the Internet Describe the role of Internet protocols and utility programs Discuss the impact of the mobile platform and cloud computing Explain the current structure of the Internet Understand the limitations of todays Internet

The Internet: Technology Background

Internet
Interconnected network of thousands of

networks and millions of computers Links businesses, educational institutions, government agencies, and individuals

World Wide Web (Web)

One of the Internets most popular services Provides access to billions, possibly trillions, of

Web pages
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The Evolution of the Internet 1961Present

Innovation Phase, 19641974
Creation of fundamental building blocks

Institutionalization Phase, 19751995

Large institutions provide funding and

legitimization

Commercialization Phase, 1995present

Private corporations take over, expand Internet

backbone and local service

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Development of the Internet Timeline

Some examples of key developments include:

1961, concept of packet switching is created 1969, first ARPANET link established (Internet born) 1972, e-mail is invented 1974, TCP/IP invented Late 1970s, PCs are invented 1984, DNS system introduced 1989, the Web is created 1993, first graphical Web browser (Mosaic) 1994, first banner ad (birth of e-commerce) 1995, NSF privatizes the backbone (fully commercial

Internet born)

The Internet: Key Technology Concepts

Packet switching TCP/IP and domain names Internet architecture and applications Client/server architecture Mobile platform Cloud computing

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Packet Switching
Slices digital messages into packets Sends packets along different communication paths as they become available Reassembles packets once they arrive at destination Uses routers

Special purpose computers that interconnect the computer networks that make up the Internet and route packets Routing algorithms ensure packets take the best available path toward their destination

Packet Switching

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Establishes connections among sending and receiving Web computers Handles assembly of packets at point of transmission, and reassembly at receiving end Provides the Internets addressing scheme Network interface layer Internet layer Transport layer Application layer
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Internet Protocol (IP)

Four TCP/IP layers

TCP/IP
While packet switching was an enormous advance in communications capacity, there was no universally agreed upon method for breaking up digital methods into packets The answer was to develop a protocol The transmission control protocol (TCP) establishes the connections among sending and receiving machines, and makes sure that packets sent by one computer are received in the same sequence by the other, without any missing packets The Internet protocol (IP) provides the Internets addressing scheme

IP Addresses
An Internet address, known as an IP address, is a 32bit number that appears as a series of four separate decimal numbers marked off by periods, such as 64.49.254.91 Each of the four decimal numbers can range from zero to 255 This IPv4 addressing scheme contains up to four billion unique addresses A new version, called IPv6, is being adopted and provides for 128-bit addresses, or about one quadrillion (10 to the 15th power)

Routing Internet Messages: TCP/IP and Packet Switching

Domain Names
Most people can not remember 32-bit numbers, so an IP address can be represented by a natural language convention called a domain name The Domain Name System (DNS) allows expressions such as drake.edu to stand for a numeric IP address Web pages use domain names as part of their unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

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Domain Names, DNS, and URLs

Domain name
IP address expressed in natural language

Domain name system (DNS)

Allows numeric IP addresses to be expressed in natural

language

Uniform resource locator (URL)

Address used by Web browser to identify location of

content on the Web For example: http://www.azimuth-interactive.com/flash_test

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URLs
An example URL would be: http://faculty.cbpa.drake.edu/strader/mba252. htm This can be interpreted as: protocol://domain/path/file.extension Domains are classified most commonly as either .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .mil Domains outside the US often include a country classification such as .uk (United Kingdom) or .ca (Canada)

URLs
An example URL would be: http://faculty.cbpa.drake.edu/strader/mba252. htm This can be interpreted as: protocol://domain/path/file.extension Domains are classified most commonly as either .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .mil Domains outside the US often include a country classification such as .uk (United Kingdom) or .ca (Canada)

Client/Server Computing
Powerful personal computers (clients)

connected in network with one or more servers Servers perform common functions for the clients
Storing files

Software applications
Access to printers, and so on

Copyright 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

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The Client/Server Computing Model

Traditionally, the client has been a mainframe or PC In a few years, the primary means of accessing the Internet will be through a mobile device

The Emerging Mobile Platform

In a few years, the primary means of accessing the Internet worldwide will be through highly portable netbooks and smartphones, and not traditional desktop or laptop PCs This change impacts the interface between consumers and online companies, and also the firms that manufacture computers and their components What are some differences between PC-based ecommerce and mobile commerce?

The New Client: The Mobile Platform

In a few years, primary Internet access

will be through:
Tablets
Supplementing PCs for mobile situations

Smartphones
Disruptive technology:
Shift in processors, operating systems

33% of all cell phones

Cloud Computing
Firms and individuals obtain computing

power and software over Internet

Example: Google Apps

Fastest growing form of computing Radically reduces costs of:

Building and operating Web sites

Infrastructure, IT support
Hardware, software

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The Internet Cloud Computing Model: Software and Hardware as a Service

Cloud computing refers to a model of computing in which firms and individuals obtain computing power and software applications over the Internet Traditionally, users would purchase hardware and then install software on their own machines Currently, cloud computing is the fastest growing form of computing, with an estimated market size in 2010 of $68 billion, and a projected size of $148 billion in 2014

Cloud Computing Benefits

Radically reduces costs of building and operating Web sites because services can be licensed through an Internet service provider Individuals can use much less-expensive netbooks or smartphones for e-commerce activities Corporations can significantly cut their hardware and software costs (infrastructure costs), and they dont have to hire a large IT staff A risk is that firms may become totally dependent on their cloud service providers

Intranets
Intranet
TCP/IP network located within a single

organization for communications and processing

Used by

private and government organizations for internal networks intranets

All Internet applications can be used in private

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 Extranet -- formed when firms permit outsiders to access their I

Broadbandin the context of Internet servicerefers to any communication technology that permits clients to play streaming audio and video files at acceptable speedsgenerally anything above 100 Kbps.

Bandwidth measures how much data can be transferred over a

communications medium within a fixed period of time, and is usually expressed in bits per second (bps), kilobits (thousands of bits) per second (Kbps), megabits (millions of bits) per second (Mbps), or gigabits (billions of bits) per second (Gbps).

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Limitations of the Current Internet

Bandwidth limitations
Slow peak-hour service

Quality of service limitations

Latency - packets take a circuitous route (delay

caused by uneven flow)

Network architecture limitations

Identical requests are processed individually

Wired Internet
Copper and expensive fiber-optic cables

The Internet2 Project

Consortium of 350+ institutions

collaborating to facilitate revolutionary Internet technologies Primary goals:

Create leading-edge very-high speed network for

national research community Enable revolutionary Internet applications Distributed and collaborative computing environments for sciences, health, arts, and humanities initiatives

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Wireless Internet Access Network Technologies

Wi-Fi

High-speed, fixed broadband wireless LAN (WLAN) Wireless access point (hot spots) Limited range but inexpensive For-profit Wi-Fi networks: Boingo, AT&T Wi-Fi Services High-speed, medium range broadband wireless metropolitan area network Personal connectivity between devices and to Internet Low-speed, short range connection

WiMax

Bluetooth

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Wi-Fi Networks

Figure 3.15, Page 145

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Hypertext
Text formatted with embedded links
Links connect documents to one another, and to other

objects such as sound, video, or animation files

Uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

and URLs to locate resources on the Web

Example

URL: http://megacorp.com/content/features/082602.html

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HTTP is the first set of letters at the start of every Web address, followed by the domain name . The domain name specifies the organizations server computer that is housing the document. Most companies have a domain name that is the same as or closely related to their official corporate name. The directory path and document name are two more pieces of information within the Web address that help the browser track down the requested page. Together, the address is called a Uniform Resource Locator, or URL. When typed into a browser, a URL tells it exactly where to

look for the information. For example, in the following URL: http://www.megacorp.com/content/features/082602.html http = the protocol used to display Web pages www.megacorp.com = domain name content/features = the directory path that identifies where on the domain Web server the page is stored 082602.html = the document name and its format (an html page)

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Markup Languages
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
Fixed set of

pre-defined markup tags used to

format text Controls look and feel of Web pages HTML5 the newest version

HTML defines the structure and style of a document, including the headings, graphic positioning, tables, and text formatting. Since its introduction, the major browsers have continuously added features to HTML to enable programmers to further refine their page layouts

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Web Servers and Web Clients

Web server software

Enables a computer to deliver Web pages to clients on a network that request this service by sending an HTTP request Apache, Microsoft IIS Basic capabilities: Security services, FTP, search engine, data capture May refer to either Web server software or physical server Specialized servers: Database servers, ad servers, and so on Any computing device attached to the Internet that is capable of making HTTP requests and displaying HTML pages

Web server

Web client

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Web Server Basic Features

Security servicesThese consist mainly of authentication services that verify that the person trying to access the site is authorized to do so. For Web sites that process payment transactions, the Web server also supports SSL, the Internet protocol for transmitting and receiving information securely over the Internet FTPThis protocol allows users to transfer files to and from the server Search engine modules within the basic Web server software package enable indexing of the sites Web pages and content, and permit easy keyword searching of the sites content Data captureWeb servers are also helpful at monitoring site traffic, capturing information on who has visited a site, how long the user stayed there, the date and time of each visit, and which specific pages on the server were accessed.

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Web Browsers
Primary purpose to display Web pages

Internet Explorer54% of market

Mozilla Firefox20%
Open source

Other browsers
Google Chrome19%

Apples Safari5%

The Internet and Web: Features

Features on which the foundations of

e-commerce are built:

E-mail Instant messaging Search engines Online forums and chat Streaming media Cookies

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E-mail
Most used application of the Internet Uses series of protocols for transferring messages with text and attachments from one Internet user to another

Instant Messaging

Displays words typed on a computer almost instantly, and recipients can respond immediately in the same way
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Search Engines

Identify Web pages that match queries based on one or more techniques
Keyword indexes, page ranking

Also serve as:

Shopping tools
Advertising vehicles (search engine marketing) Tool within e-commerce sites

Outside of e-mail, most commonly used Internet activity

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Online Forums and Chat

Online forum
Also known as a message board, bulletin board,

discussion board, discussion group, board, or forum Web application that enables Internet users to communicate with one another, although not in real time Members visit online forum to check for new posts

Online chat
Similar to IM, but for multiple users Typically, users log into chat room

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Streaming Media
Enables music, video, and other large

files to be sent to users in chunks so that when received and played, file comes through uninterrupted Allows users to begin playing media files before file is fully downloaded

Copyright 2014 Pearon Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

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Cookies
Small text files deposited by Web site

on users computer to store information about user, accessed when user next visits Web site
Can help personalize Web site

experience
Can pose privacy threat

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Web 2.0 Features and Services

Online Social Networks
Services that support communication among

networks of friends, peers

Blogs
Personal Web page of chronological entries

Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Program that allows users to have digital

content automatically sent to their computers over the Internet

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Web 2.0 Features and Services

Podcasting
Audio presentation stored as an audio file and

available for download from Web

Wikis
Allows user to easily add and edit content on

Web page

Music and video services

Online video viewing Digital video on demand
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Web 2.0 Features and Services

Internet telephony (VoIP)
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) uses

Internet to transmit voice communication

Video conferencing, video chatting, and

telepresence Online software and Web services

Web apps, widgets, and gadgets

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Intelligent Personal Assistants

Software that interacts with the user

through voice commands Features

Natural language; conversational interface Situational awareness Interpret voice commands to interact with

various Web services

Examples: Siri, Google Now

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Mobile Apps

Use of mobile apps has exploded

More than 60% of online shoppers are mobile shoppers

as well

Increased use/purchasing from tablets Platforms

iPhone/iPad (iOS), Android, Blackberry

App marketplaces
Google Play, Apples App Store, RIMs App World,

Windows Phone Marketplace

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