Competitive Landscape for e-Business

As organizations formulate their e-Business strategies, they must understand the nature of the value proposition, the complexity of context, and the various roles that are functionally defined within the e-space. It is highly unlikely that all of the processes, roles, and context will be contained within a single organization. Alliance partners, ASPs, outsource providers, and joint venture partners are becoming the norm.
To identify and establish good working relationships with potential partners, an organization must have a framework within which to understand their unique capabilities and the capabilities of their potential partners. The following dimensions are perspectives on the market space in which the individual actors engage:

It is critical to rate potential alliance partners to assess whether they are partnership material or competitor material. W need to rate them and understand them in multiple dimensions.

The frequency of online purchases varies considerably by geography. Consumers in Asia, North America and Western Europe are most likely to shop online, while per capita online purchases in Eastern Europe and Russia, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa are less frequent. Among the different age groups, Generation X consumers (born between 1966 and 1981) made more online purchases last year than any other age group, averaging nearly 19 transactions per year. Interestingly, despite the common belief that the upswing in online shopping is largely driven by the younger Millennials (born between 1982 and 2001), Generation X consumers in fact made 20 percent more purchases last year than their younger counterparts. Stage of life and income levels are certainly primary factors driving both online and offline shopping, and Generation X consumers, many of which are more established in their careers and building homes