ERCIM Working Group on Electronic Commerce
The new ERCIM working group on Electronic Commerce addresses various
aspects of problems related to any form of business transaction in which
the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or
direct physical contacts. The use of new technologies, based on performant
exchange of electronic information, opens attractive perspectives in terms
of quality of service and global competition.
In this sense, electronic commerce drastically modifies the internal
organization of companies enabling them to be more efficient and flexible
in their operations. It also fundamentally affects their relations with
other actors on the market place. Overcoming physical constraints, the
virtual word of electronic commerce allows companies to select the best
suppliers regardless their geographical location, enhances the possibilities
of electronic retailing including a more responsive response by the companies
to the needs and expectations of their customers. Such changes, on a global
scale, will affect both organization and business processes. They are the
source of innovative developments but also bring new challenges to be
taken up in the near future.
The objective of the WG is to gather skills in many technical, social
and legal domains and to provide a framework for developing new technologies
and methods to fully exploit the opportunities offered by electronic commerce.
The following topics are of particular interest:
- various forms of electronic commerce (relations between business -
consumers - administrations)
- market place (new tools and methods)
- quality of services (marketing, customized products and services, pre
and post-sale support)
- Extended, virtual and networked enterprises
- Legal framework (contractual and financial issues, Intellectual Property
Rights)
- security (confidentiality, authentication, global certification system)
- electronic payment systems ('traditional' and electronic money)
- communication aspects (EDI, integration of various services: mail,
phone, fax)
- internationalisation (multilingual aspects)
Please contact:
Christine Vanoirbeek Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Tel: +41 21 693 25 75
E-mail: vanoirbeek@di.epfl.ch
