Just as the crash of 1929 did not presage the downfall of the United States, neither will the economic crisis of 1997 mean the end of the rise of Asia and the Pacific Rim. Leading them out of a temporary setback, says Bullis, will be the new high-tech sectors of their economies: information services, communication technology, and electronic delivery systems such as e-commerce and e-business. His book is thus a non-technical look at the state of information technology (IT) and how people in the emerging Asia marketplace are thinking about it, especially in places like Singapore and Malaysia, the only two countries in the region pursuing the sorts of large-scale information infrastructure projects that will eventually determine the region's long term commerce in IT. Not a state of the technology book but a state of the mindset book, it offers businesspeople worldwide an important understanding of this vast and burgeoning market for their products and services, insights that will help decision makers recognize the big mistakes they can make before they make them. An important and fascinating study for executives in all industries that hope to do business in the still vital Asian market. Bullis makes clear that a great deal of investment money and corporate prestige can be wasted if companies attempt to enter the Asia information technology (IT) services arena with no clear idea of what IT wants. Overseas firms often assume that their potential clients think the way they think and have the same needs. This is especially true, he says, with the sorts of decision makers who assume that marketplace forces alone condition investment decisions. But Asia is not a marketplace; it is a cultureplace. Basic issues, such as freedom of expression, the social utility of information, who should benefit from commerce, and the structure of organizations—all these are viewed differently in Asia. Bullis' book explains just what the mindset of the region is, largely in the words of Asia's IT movers and shakers and those who are rising in the economy to become tomorrow's leaders and influentials, precisely the people with whom their counterparts elsewhere will soon have to deal. Readers will find not only a much better understanding of the kinds of services they should be offering, but how to tailor those services and their delivery systems to local realities.

Asia has been a hub for e-commerce companies in the past decade and the growth trajectory narrates the story of bright future. Its growth has largely impacted the economic, social and technological advancements in every country and contributed to global trade. Nonetheless, the success and failure of e-commerce companies lies on various factors, some of which include product pricing, competition, strategies and business models. However, with surveys in India indicating how sale of counterfeit products remains a significant problem for online shoppers across many e-commerce sites, e-commerce companies claim they are taking tough steps to ensure that counterfeit products do not make their way to customers, by delisting fraud sellers, using tamper-proof packaging and monitoring warehouses.This book aims to unwrap the stories of e-commerce companies in Asia and how they have contributed to the society. It discusses the growth and failures of some e-commerce giants and looks at both theoretical and practical aspects of e-commerce by presenting the issues, challenges and successes of e-commerce businesses. It examines interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aspects from micro and macro perspectives and links disciplines like strategy, management, entrepreneurship, competitiveness, finance, technology and operations.

E-Commerce in Asia has been receiving considerable attention as a result of the proliferation of Internet connectivity and technologies in the region. In response to this trend, a series of studies to investigate the various economic, social, methodological, and security issues related to this emerging business paradigm.

Asia is the world's largest e-commerce marketplace and continues to grow rapidly. Some countries lead. Others need to catch up. An efficient e-commerce marketplace requires information and communication technology infrastructure—including internet access, speed, and affordability—along with logistics, an effective legal and institutional framework, and social acceptance and awareness. This report reviews the opportunities and challenges in developing business-to-consumer e-commerce in the region. It also examines how Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies—blockchains, the internet of things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and 5G wireless networks, among others—will transform the industry and unlock its dynamic potential. It also offers policy recommendations to help lower barriers to e-commerce development.

Compiles top research from the world's leading experts on many topics related to electronic commerce. Covers topics including mobile commerce, virtual enterprises, business-to-business applications, Web services, and enterprise methodologies.

This publication assesses the impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce and digital trade. While the pandemic caused a sharp deceleration in economic activity, it also led to a rapid acceleration of e-commerce. With restrictions on movement and other public health interventions in place, digital solutions have become essential to continued delivery of economic and social activities. And, as the digital economy and e-commerce play an increased role in Sustainable Development, stakeholders at all levels have a responsibility to ensure that these technologies play a positive and powerful role in national and international recovery efforts. Indeed, those that can harness the potential of e-commerce will be better placed to benefit from global markets for their goods and services, while those that fail to do so risk falling behind. Thus, the critical global policy challenge that emerges from this study is that greater efforts are needed to help reduce inequalities in e-trade readiness that currently prevail amongst countries.

Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.