Course Schedule

(Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11)

Week 1

Wednesday (September 21): Course Introduction

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Getting acquainted
2. Course overview, goals, and administrivia
3. Introduction to Electronic Commerce

Readings:

• Course Syllabus
• Digital Economy 2003, U.S. Department of Commerce. (Read the executive summary, Introduction, and Chapter 5)
• Varian et al., "The Net Impact Study: The Projected Economic Benefits of the Internet In the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany," January 2002. (Read pp. 1-17; skim the rest)
• Bakos, Y., "The Emerging Role of Electronic Marketplace on the Internet," Communications of the ACM, Vol. 41, No. 8, August 1998, pp. 35-42.

Other:

• "It's a Flat World, After All," Thomas Friedman, NYT (4/3/05). (Watch video presentation; read interview)
• E-Biz Strikes Again! Cover story, Business Week (May 10, 2004)
• Web Stats: Clickz Stats, NAU, eStats
• Retail E-commerce Sales - US Department of Commerce
• "Why CEOs still don't get the Net," Cnet (5/21/02)

Assignments:

• Experience Electronic Commerce -- do it right away

Week 2

Monday (September 26): Internet Business Models

Topics (Session Slides):

B2C and C2C Business Models

Read:

• Magretta, J., "Why Business Models Matter," Harvard Business Review, May, 2002.
• Rappa, M., "Business Models on the Web," NCSU, 2000.

Other:

• Patented Web Business Processes/Models

Wednesday (September 28): Internet Business Models

Topics (Session Slides (Cntd)):

B2B Business Models

Read:

• Kaplan, S. and M. Sawhney, " E-Hubs: The New B2B Marketplaces," Harvard Business Review, May-June, 2000.
• Wise, R. and D. Morrison, "Beyond the Exchange: The future of B2B," Harvard Business Review, November-December, 2000.

Other:

• Let's Keep this Private - InformationWeek, July 30, 2001
• What You need to Know about Public and Private Echanges - CIO Magazine, Sept. 1, 2001.
• Dey et al., "Shakeouts in Digital Markets: Lessons from B2B Exchanges," California Management Review, Winter 2003.

Assignments:

• FreeMarkets Online

Week 3

Monday (October 3): eCommerce Technologies I: The Network Infrastructure for E-Commerce

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Discussion of Freemarkets case. (Discussion Slides)
2. Overview of Internet Architecture and Protocols
3. The Access Provider Industry
4. Basics of Telecommunications
5. How the Internet Works

Read:

• How Web Servers and the Internet Work, from howstuffworks.com
• The Internet Architecture -- a brief guide

Other Web Resources:

• Hobbes' Internet Timeline
• Mapnet: Internet Backbone Visualization
• Profiles of Internet Backbones service providers and more
• Cable vs. DSL
• Internetworking Technology Handbook from CISCO
• Tools: VisualRoute, NetworkTools, Domain Name Lookup
• Cyber Geography -- visualizing internet topology and traffic patterns.
• Internet Traffic Report
• DNS Lookup/Resources
• A note on Cybersquatting
• Directory of Internet Service Providers
• learn more about Internet2
• Internet Governance:
  • Organizations: Internet Society, Internet Software Consortium, IAB (Internet Architecture Board), IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
  • IP Address Block Assignment: AINA
  • Domain Name Registration: InterNIC, ICANN
• Office/Home Networking: WiFi.org and WiFiPlanet.com (Wireless), Powerline
• Emerging Wireless Technologies: WirelessMAN , MBWA
• No Wires, No Rules (BW; 4/26/04)
• Beyond Wi-Fi (BW; Special Report; 6/05)
• Power Line Broadband

Wednesday (October 5): eCommerce Technologies II: The Web

Topics (Session Slides):

1. WWW protocol: HTTP
2. Markup Languages: HTML, XML
3. Common Gateway Interface
4. Java and Javascript
5. Web Services
6. Grid and Peer-to-Peer Computing

Read:

• The Web at Your Service - BusinessWeek, March 18, 2002
• Amazon moves to front line of shaping 'Web services' - USA Today, September 30, 2003
• Peer-to-Peer - BusinessWeek, March 23, 2001
• The Way To A Google Office - BusinessWeek, October 31, 2005.

Resources to Skim:

• Web Building Tutorials
• The World Wide Web Consortium
• JavaScript: JavaScript for Beginners
• Java: Java Home
• CookieCentral
• Web development: Webmonkey, Builder.com
• XML:
  • XML's Impact on E-Commerce, GE Information Services White Paper (PDF), 1999.
  • 20 Questions on XML, T. Gorman, CNET, 1998.
  • other: xml.org,XML.com, Spotlight on XML
  • XBRL: Trust and Data Assurances in Capital Markets: The Role of Technology Solutions - PWC Research Monograph
• Web Services
• XML Web Services Basics - Microsoft, Decembe r 2001

Week 4

Monday (October 10): Tech III: Technologies for Secure E-Commerce

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Firwalls and Network Security
2. Encryption and Transaction Security
3. Digital Signature
4. Technologies: SSL, PGP, PKI

Read:

• Introduction to Cryptography (Chapter 1 which comes with PGP; skim)
• SSL FAQ
• Guide to Securing Your Web Site for Business, Verisign White Paper, 1999.
• Pacini et al., "To agree or not to agree: Legal Isues in Online contracting," Business Horizons, January-February, 2002.

Other:

• The Strength of the Internet Proves to Be Its Weakness, NYT, February 10, 2000.
• Feds Want Banks to Strengthen Web Log-Ons, AP, 10/24/05.
• Spyware: Spyware Runs Rampant (PCWorld; 4/15/04), How To Stymie The Snoop In Your PC (BW; 4/5/04)
• Clinton, Ahern digitally sign e-commerce agreement, 10/4/98
• WWW Security FAQ
• Cryptography FAQ (from RSA)
• 512-bit RSA Key Cracked; see also the announcement and FAQ from RSA.
• Note on Digital Signatures
• International PGP
• Security Center from Netscape and Verisign
• The WWW Virtual Library on Cryptography, PGP, and Your Privacy
• Freeware Security Tools

Wednesday (October 12): discussion of Dell's case (Session Slides)

Week 5

Monday (October 17): Technologies for eCommerce (Ctd)

Wednesday (October 19): discussion of Monster and eBay Cases (Slides)

Skim:

• Wolf, J., and W. A. Muhanna, "Adverse Selection and Reputation Systems in Online Auctions: Evidence from eBay Motors," Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems, forthcoming (December 2005).
• Arthur, W. Brian,"Positive Feedbacks in the Economy," Scientific American, Feb. 1990.
• Liebowitz, S.J., and S. E. Margolis, "Network Externalities (Effects)," The New Palgraves Dictionary of Economics and the Law, MacMillan, 1998.

Week 6

Monday (October 24): Tech IV: Electronic Payment Systems

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Online Credit Card-Based Systems
2. Digital Checks
3. Micropayment Mechanisms and Digital Cash
4. Smart Cards

Read:

• E-Money, S. Holly, Internet Business, March 2001.

Other:

• Choi, S-Y. and A. Whinston, Smart Cards: Enabling Smart Commerce in the Digital Age, 1998.
• Smart Card Players: American Express (Blue), Mondex, Visa
• Virtual Credit Cards and Digital Wallets: Visa, MBNA ShopSafe, Microsoft Passport/Wallet
• Liberty Alliance Project
• P2P Payment Solutions: PayPal, MoneyZap (Western Union)
• Digital Checks: AChex (Western Union), CheckFree
• Micropayment Mechanisms: eCharge, Qpass, iPIN
• Incentive, Gift certificates and Pre-Paid (Stored Value) Mechanisms: Duo Cash InternetCash, AllowanceNet/BiG-Change
• Money - Past, Present & Future by Roy Davies

Wednesday (October 26): discussion of Yahoo's case

(Session Slides)

Week 7

Monday (October 31): Midterm Exam

Wednesday (November 2): eTailing

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Payment Systems (ctd)
2. Measuring the Opportunity
3. Online Retailing Issues and Challenges
4. M-Commerce

Read:

• Alba, J. et al., "Interactive home shopping: Consumer, retailer, and manufacturer incentives to participate in electronic marketplaces," Journal of Marketing, July 1997.
• Ratliff, J. M., "NTT DoCoMo and its i-mode Success: Origins and Implications," California Management Review, Spring 2002.

Other:

• Retail E-commerce Sales - US Census Bureau
• Web Stats: Clickz Stats, NAU, eStats
• In the Great Web Bazaar, The Economist (2/00).

• Wireless E-commerce:
  • Harvey, F., The Internet in Your Hands, Scientific American, October 2000.
  • Location-Based Services: two views.
  • "1to1 Mobility: Customer-based Strategies for a Wireless World," White Paper, Peppers and Rogers Consulting, 2001.

Week 8

Monday (November 7): Online Marketing

Topics: (Session Slides)

1. Nature of Marketing in EC Enviroment
2. Target and Micromarketing
3. Advertising on the Net

Read:

• Deighton, J., "The Future of Interactive Marketing," Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1996.
• Winer, R. S., "A Framework for Customer Relationship Management," California Management Review, Summer 2001.

Wednesday (November 9): Market and Organizational Implications

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Transaction Costs Economics
2. Markets vs. Hierarchies

Read:

• Malone, T. W., "Electronic Markets and Electronic Hierarchies," Communications of the ACM, 30:6, June 1987, pp. 484-497.
• Muhanna, W. A. and J. Wolf, Jr. "The Impact of E-Commerce on the Real Estate Industry: Baen and Guttery Revisited," The Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, 8:2, pp. 141-152, 2002.

Other:

• E-Biz Strikes Again! Cover story, Business Week (May 10, 2004)

Week 9

Monday (November 14): Guest-Speaker Presentation

Mr. Howard Zitsman, Owener and President, CardSupply.com

Wednesday (November 16): Disintermediation and Cybermediation

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Disintermediation and Cybermediation
2. discussion of AutobyTel Case

Read:

• Sarkar et al., "Cybermediaries in Electronic Marketspace: Toward Theory Building", J. Business Research, 41:3, pp. 215-221, March, 1998.
• Gallaugher, J. M., "E-commerce and the undulating distribution channel," Communications of the ACM, 45:7, July 2002.

Other:

• Muhanna, W. A. and J. Wolf, Jr. "The Impact of E-Commerce on the Real Estate Industry: Baen and Guttery Revisited," The Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, 8:2, pp. 141-152, 2002.
• Atkinson, R. D., "The Revenge of the Disintermediated," January 2001.
• E-Biz Strikes Again! Cover story, Business Week (May 10, 2004)

Week 10

Monday (November 21): From Brick-and-Mortar to Brick-and-Click

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Strategy for Brick-and-Mortar Firms
2. Discussion of Staples.com case
3. Continued discussion of Internet's Impact

Read:

• Gulati, R. and J. Carino, "Getting the Right Mix of Bricks and Clicks," Harvard Business Review, May-June, 2000.
• Lee, Y. et al., "Coping with Internet channel conflict," Communications of the ACM, 46:7, July 2003.

Wednesday (November 23): Internet's Impact on Pricing and the Nature of Competition

Topics (Session Slides):

1. The eMarket Efficiency Hypothesis
2. Impact of Reduced Search Costs

Read:

• Bakos, Y., "The Emerging Role of Electronic Marketplace on the Internet," Communications of the ACM, Vol. 41, No. 8, August 1998, pp. 35-42.
• Smith, M., J. Bailey, and E. Brynjolfsson, "Understanding Digital Markets: Review and Assessment," 2000.
• (skim) Campbell, C., G. Ray and W. A. Muhanna, "Search and Collusion in Electonic Markets," Management Science, March 2005.

Other:

• Second Sight, The Guardian (UK), 3/24/05. (Story on our research)
• Frictions in cyberspace, The Economist, 11/20/99.
• Good-Bye to Fixed Pricing?, Businessweek, 5/4/98.
• The Hotelling Beach Model

Week 11

Monday (November 28): Strategies for the Digital Age

Topics (Session Slides):

1. Pricing Digital Goods
2. Strategy for the Digital Age

Readings:

Porter, M. E., "Strategy and the Internet," Harvard Business Review, March 2001.
• Shapiro, C. and H. R. Varian, "Versioning: The Smart Way to Sell Information," Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1998.
• Online Dynamic Pricing: Efficiency, Equity and the Future of E-commerce, an examination of the legality of price discrimination online
• Zhu, K., and MacQuarrie, B., " The economics of digital bundling: the impact of digitization and bundling on the music industry, Communications of the ACM, 46:9, September 2003.

Wednesday (November 30): Project Presentations

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