Ways in Which the Oxford Business College May Benefit from E-Commerce - Case Study Example

E-COMMERCE al Affiliation) Introduction Oxford Business College is one of the most dedicated Business Schools in the Entire European region. The College is dedicated towards the provision of effective and efficient business as well as entrepreneurial knowledge. It also facilitates the acquisition of knowledge through research based on various business facets and the connections between these facets. Task One Environment for E-Business Various businesses and institutions have employed the use of Information Technology, specifically the use of electronic business (e-business) operation strategies. The current society is characterized by rapid technological developments that change from day to day. Owing to the rise and rapid changes in the market structures, various businesses have been compelled to adapt to the use of electronic modes of business operations (Lee, 2008). The concept of using electronic modes of business operations encompasses the use of; electronic equipment and services for conducting any business activity. For instance various business employ the use of emails, websites and other computer networks in various activities as marketing, making purchases and disseminating other pertinent business activities. Owing to the current high rate of competition, many businesses have developed their specific company websites that are majorly meant to communicate their activities to the target customers. Different institutions have also applied the use of electronic services to conduct their activities i.e. developing websites where pertinent information concerning various services offered can be accessed. Possible types of Internet Transactions There are various types on internet transactions; these transactions are usually conducted by different activities. One of these transactions is online banking services which are mainly used by financial institutions such as banks. Online banking services may be used through wire transfer, pay pal and pioneer (Brinck & Gergle, 2002). Additionally, other internet transaction activities are inclusive of: Advertisement whereby certain companies and institutions may develop their own websites purposely for advertising their services and products (Brinck & Gergle, 2002). Moreover, companies and institutions may advertise their products and services in various independent websites majorly meant for advertisement for instance: eBay, Amazon, OXL et cetera. Learning institutions may also use internet services to disseminate information concerning their courses to the public. Ways in Which the Oxford Business College may be benefit from E-commerce Electronic commerce has various advantages not only to businesses but also learning institutions; the Oxford Business College may benefit from electronic commerce in a number of ways. To begin with, the use of e-commerce creates a perfect opportunity for the Oxford Business College to advertise various courses and other activities undertaken within the College. The number of persons using internet services has also increased tremendously in the current generation. This means that the College will be in a position to sell its courses to a large number of people hence attracting a large number of clients. Moreover, the college may use this opportunity to provide online courses to interested students who may have the opportunity to attend lessons in the respective areas. Use of internet services is also a way that may reduce operational costs if properly used; the money that could have been used to undertake advertisement will be reduced by application of e-commerce techniques which utilizes minimal resources yet have a bigger impact. Security and Legislation Issues for Oxford Business College There are various rules and regulations that govern the use and application of e-commerce; additionally, there are also a variety of securities measures that ought to be taken into consideration to ensure that certain private information concerning e-commerce do not land into wrong hands. To begin with, in the United Kingdom, all the online transactions and online businesses are guided by the e-commerce regulations (Electronic Commerce Directive) 2002. The purposes of Electronic Commerce Directive Regulation 2002 were to provide certain clarifications and harmonization of online business activities to ensure that the confidence of consumers regarding such online activities is enhanced. The stipulations of this directive that was passed in 2000, covers all online commercial activities; this means that Oxford Business College has to adhere to the stipulations of this directive. Consequently, there are measures that have to be taken into consideration when operating online business activities. There have to be passwords that must be set to protect the online websites and portals of the College; additionally, the passwords are set in a specific manner in order to ensure that access to information due to hacking is prevented. Modes of Communication for Oxford Business College There are various types of online business communication that may be applied by the Oxford Business College. The first mode of communication is the use of social media for instance: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsup, 2go, Linkedln et cetera. On the other hand, there are also business advertisement websites that may be used by OBC for disseminating information to the public for example: Ebay, Amazon, OLX as well as a website specifically developed by the college for purposes of advertisement of the available services provided in the college. Task Two Internet Technology The concept of internet technology encompasses a system of computer networks that functions on a global scale, inter-connected with a major purpose of providing various online services to users. This system uses a benchmarked Internet Protocol Suite (IP) for its operations. Basics of HTML The fundamental facets of HTML are inclusive of two markers that surround a certain text; they are also known as elements and sometimes may exhibit features of sub-elements. The basics of HTML therefore include html containing a title, header and a body. Advantages of OBC when the internal administrator has the ability to adjust the website The main advantage of the feature will occur in the sense that an adjustable website will create flexibility; this will play an important role by allowing the Oxford Business College to adjust its advertisements and information concerning current changes and new courses provided in the college. Adjustment will also create an appropriate environment for creating changes in case of hacking or other security threats. Function of Client Servers, Browsers and Search Engines and how they will Benefit OBC Client servers basically are computer networks whereby clients applies for services on a specific server process; browsers on that other hand, are computer installed programs that enables users to access certain information. Consequently, the function of search engines just like client servers and browsers, assist persons using the internet to find certain encoded information (Laudon & Traver, 2002). The above specific electronic features may provide functions to the Oxford Business College; the first benefit emerges from the fact that they will provide a centralized strategy for managing and controlling information resource in OBC. Additionally, they provide an opportunity for flexibility and a wide scope of information dissemination; this will allow the OBC administration to create changes that may occur in their learning environment. Use of Intranets and extranets The use of intranets entails the application of computer networks within an organization to conduct various transactions while extranets involves the application of computer networks to conduct certain operations between organizations or between an organization and clients. Oxford Business College may benefit from this two important computer features by: Facilitating their productivity through reduced operational time that may be required to physically transport data from one point to another. Moreover, the use of intranets and extranets are imperative in the sense that they lead to the reduction of operational costs that are usually encountered when undertaking physical operations. Consequently, they facilitate information transfer and sharing between employees and clients, hence creating an opportunity for making changes that will promote improvements. Task Three Various E-Business Models E-business models describe a format or a framework in which online businesses operate; the first model is the subscription model which enable online users to access certain information at a fee. Secondly, the brokerage is another e-business model that promotes the interaction of buyers and sellers in a manner that sellers offer their goods to the customers i.e. the Amazon, eBay as well as the OLX; however, these sites charge certain operational fees to their clients. The third model is the merchant model that allows merchants to offer various online products to their customers without charging any operational fees (Laudon & Traver, 2002). Advertising model is also another e-business model that provides different ads other information concerning certain goods and services to their client for instance online newspapers et cetera. Moreover, the community model is another e-business model that is based on the trend of online communities whereby they are provided with an opportunity to make exchange photos and make friends: Various advertisements can also be undertaken through this model (Laudon & Traver, 2002). Ways in which colleges can generate Revenue from E-business Models Colleges have a great opportunity to generate income from e-business model; by application of the subscription model, colleges may design and develop websites that provide certain important information to different clients at a fee. The provision of online newspapers through the application of the advertisement model is a way of generating income that may be used by colleges. The brokerage model may also be used by colleges to generate income; colleges can develop websites where they advertise goods and services and charge a specific amount of operational fees from the producers or suppliers and the customers (Lee, 2008). Future of E-business The future of e-business is relatively bright; with the current rapid rate of technological advancement, it is expected that myriad improvements will be performed in the technological sector hence impacting on the way people conduct businesses (Lee, 2008). E-business is among the most affected by these rapid technological advancements with new changes being identified on a daily basis. Owing to the high rate of competition among businesses, e-commerce is highly adapted among businesses in order to facilitate their operations. However, new changes and improvements are recognized on a daily basis, meaning that any organization or institution that uses e-business methods must be track of the current trend of e-commerce. Task Four Elements of Good Web Design There are five important elements of a good web design; the first element is the navigation key. They should be strategically placed on the homepage at the same spot by use of a similar icon on the on different pages. Secondly, information concerning the organization or institution is another element of web design which should be properly displayed and designed to provide pertinent content. Good web designs provide search options for their users by keying search terms. Properly designed webs also take a greater consideration on the folds used to separate pages or information. Consequently, the overall impression of the homepage is another key element that may be used must be taken into consideration; proper design of the other four elements creates good impression of the homepage. Impact of a well-designed OBC website A properly designed website would enhance marketing of the services provided by the Oxford Business College by attracting a large number of clients. Such a website will also allow the OBC to make changes that may occur in the current e-business market hence increasing its capacity to fit in the competitive market. Usability issues for OBC’s new web design It is crucial that the OBC web design is formulated in a manner that end-users access information with ease. The various features that should be taken in to consideration are the five key elements discussed in this document. These elements should be designed in a manner that they meet the needs of the customers (Brinck & Gergle, 2002). Bibliography Brinck, T., Gergle, D., & Wood, S. D.2002. Designing Web sites that work usability for the Web. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G.2002. E-commerce: business, technology, society. Boston: Addison Wesley. Lee, I.2008. E-business models, services, and communications. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Read More