Lesson 1

The world of eBusiness is generating some of the most dynamic and profound impacts on global business of all time.
eBusiness is clearly more than a trend and has changed the way we define services and factors of production. e-business will continue to change

1. the way we think about business,
2. the way we do business, and
3. the way our efforts are valued

• Role of the e-business Architect:
  The role of the e-business architect is often about addressing the challenge of change. e-business Architecture introduces students to the many commercial, operational, and technical issues related to this revolution. The course begins with info about how e-business is being shaped by technology and telecommunications, and why this is important.
  It then discusses the e-business models and
  1. the business-to-business (B2B) relationships,
  2. business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships,
  
  how you will need to prepare your business for e-business, and the technological components to build your solution. After exploring the
  1. commercial,
  2. financial and human resources, and
  3. marketing implications of this change,
  
  the course covers planning and design issues. You will learn the importance of implementation and maintenance, and address some of the challenges and opportunities presented by globalization. I hope to equip you with the know-how to recognize the issues that must be addressed in designing and implementing a successful e-Business solution.

Business Architecture

After completing the course, you will be able to:

1. Understand the evolution of e-business technologies
2. Define e-business architecture and its significance
3. Define the role of an e-business solution architect
4. Understand the market/technology forces and market/technology changes that have driven the definition of architecture as it is today
5. Understand the issues involved in planning the architecture for an e-business solution
6. Understand the building blocks of e-business architecture
7. Understand the standard services options within an e-business architecture

• The series This course is the first of two courses in the e-business series. The second course in this series, Elements of the e-business Solution, introduces students to the tools and products needed to build an e-business solution from start to finish. The course begins with an overview of the History of e-business and the reasons why electronic Business has changed the life of everyone. After exploring those reasons in detail, the course will teach you how to build various solution.

You will learn which

1. infrastructure and enhancement technologies you need,
2. which packaged products and services you may use, and
3. which issues to consider when purchasing and/or implementing the various elements of your solution.

The following features are included in this series.
If you would like to download and print out the stakeholder concerns and questions table for reference, go to the Easy Reference folder on the Resources page where this table is listed along with other reference tables used in this course.

• Global Issues: The Global Issues feature highlights global issues pertinent to e-business and e-business architecture. By clicking on the Global Issues icon, you will be directed to Forums on various topics relating to globalization. Below is an example. Click on the Global Issue icon to view the example.
• International Workforce: The real possibility of an international workforce brings with it several advantages and disadvantages. 24 hours a day An international focus and workforce could allow the enterprise to remain open 24 hours a day, with the operation moving from time zone to time zone. This is most likely to be of value with service industries and software companies, where the product is easily moved or accessed around the world. Quality of offshore labor It is also possible to employ staff in countries where the standard of living is lower, such as developing countries. This makes it cheaper to employ staff who may sometimes be better trained. The architect should also be aware of extremely detailed, complex regulations that exist to protect the rights of workers. This is particularly appealing where the appropriate skills may not be available locally. Another option is to seek and/or base these skill sets remotely. International labor law is extremely complex, and the company should retain legal counsel in dealing with an international workforce. Flexiplace and flextime With greater connectivity in e-business, the idea of flexiplace as well as flexitime can be introduced. This means that staff can feasibly work while traveling the world. This flexibility is a significant perk to offer potential recruits.
• e-business Questions:
  1. What advantages and disadvantages do you see for your e-business with regard to human resources factors?
  2. Is it fair to employ international workers?
  3. How does this impact the e-business work environment? What advantages does a 24-7 workday afford the customer and/or the e-business?
  4. What other potentially wide-reaching implications are there with regard to human resources in the international marketplace?
• Module Exercises: With e-business being potentially global, with multiple time zones and the other international factors, it is possible for a company to have branches in other countries in various longitudes.

To provide you an opportunity to practice what you learn within a context, we have created exercises throughout the series in which you apply your knowledge to various scenarios.