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.
eBusiness 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

The role of the eBusiness architect is often about addressing the challenge of change. eBusiness Architecture introduces students to the many commercial, operational, and technical issues related to this revolution. The course begins with info about how eBusiness is being shaped by technology and telecommunications, and why this is important.
It then discusses the eBusiness models and

1. the business-to-business (B2B) relationships,
2. business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships,

how you will need to prepare your business for eBusiness, 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.

After completing the course, you will be able to:

1. Understand the evolution of eBusiness technologies
2. Define eBusiness architecture and its significance
3. Define the role of an eBusiness 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 eBusiness solution
6. Understand the building blocks of eBusiness architecture
7. Understand the standard services options within an eBusiness architecture

This course is the first of two courses in the eBusiness series. The second course in this series, Elements of the eBusiness Solution, introduces students to the tools and products needed to build an eBusiness solution from start to finish.
The course begins with an overview of the History of eBusiness 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.

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.

The Global Issues feature highlights global issues pertinent to eBusiness and eBusiness 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.

With eBusiness 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.

Feedback represents unscored opportunities for you to self-check your understanding of key points before you arrive at an Exercise or Quiz, which are scored.
You will encounter the QuickCheck icon throughout the course.
Click once to see the question, and then click again to see the correct answer in a short, animated sequence.

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.