ICT and e-business in the tourism industry ICT adoption ... - empirica

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Annex III: Glossary of Technical Terms
Access
B2B
Term Definition 99
B2B e-marketplace
B2C
Bandwidth
Broadband
Channel
CRM
Dial-up
Digital signature
DRM
DSL
e-Business
ebXML
e-Commerce
EDI
The ability to retrieve information and to communicate online through the use of digital
information and communication technologies.
Business to Business. Electronic transactions between companies.
Electronic trading platforms on the internet where companies can sell and/or buy goods
or services to/from other companies. They can be operated by a single buyer or seller or
by a third party. Many marketplaces are industry-specific. Some marketplaces require
registration and membership fees from companies that want to conduct trade on them.
Business to Consumer. Electronic transactions, between companies and consumers.
The physical characteristic of a telecommunications system that indicates the speed at
which information can be transferred. In analogue systems, it is measured in cycles per
second (Hertz), and in digital systems in binary bits per second. (Bit/s).
High bandwidth internet access. In e-Business W@tch reports, broadband is defined as
the capacity to transfer data at rates of 2 Mbit/s (megabits per second) or greater.
In communications, a physical or logical path allowing the transmission of information;
the path connecting a data source and a receiver.
Customer Relationship Management. Software systems that promise the ability to
synthesize data on customers' behaviour and needs and thus to provide a universal view
of the customer.
The process of establishing a temporary connection (to the internet) via the switched
telephone network.
An electronic signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a
message or the signer of a document, and to ensure that the original content of the
message or document that has been sent is unchanged. Digital signature usually refers
specifically to a cryptographic signature, either on a document, or on a lower-level data
structure.
Digital rights management. DRM is a system of IT components and services, along with
corresponding law, policies and business models, which strive to distribute and control
intellectual property and its rights. Product authenticity, user charges, terms-of-use and
expiration of rights are typical concerns of DRM.
Digital Subscriber Line. A family of technologies generically referred to as DSL, or xDSL,
capable of transforming ordinary phone lines (also known as "twisted copper pairs") into
high-speed digital lines, capable of supporting advanced services. ADSL (Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line), HDSL (High data rate Digital Subscriber Line) and VDSL (Very
high data rate Digital Subscriber Line) are all variants of xDSL
Electronic business. The e-Business W@tch uses the term "e-business" in the broad
sense, relating both to external and to company internal processes. This includes
external communication and transaction functions, but also ICT supported flows of
information within the company, for example, between departments and subsidiaries.
Electronic business using XML. A proven framework and unified set of internationally
agreed upon technical specifications and common XML semantics designed to facilitate
global trade.
Electronic commerce. As distinct from the broader concept of e-business, e-commerce
refers to external transactions in goods and services between companies (B2B),
between companies and consumers (B2C), or between companies and governments
(B2G) and may therefore be seen as a subgroup or component of e-business activities.
Electronic Data Interchange. A way for unaffiliated companies to use networks to link
their businesses by using a common technical standard for exchanging business data.
While electronic mail between companies is common, electronic data interchange
passes bigger bundles that replace large paper documents such as bills and contracts.
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Some of the definitions in this glossary are derived from or based on definitions suggested by
Whatis?com, a leading online ICT encyclopaedia and learning centre. See
http://whatis.techtarget.com.
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