Research Paper on:
E-Commerce and the Global Economy

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
mainly transmitted was information in the form of raw data and statistics, mainly for use in scientific and educational experiments and ideas.  In less than 30 years, however, the Internet has shifted from a vehicle for transmitting classified information to an information dissemination tool to much of the world. And for businesses,  the Internet is proving to be a valuable marketing tool, in that web sites can advertise a product or service and then encourage the consumer to purchase that product or  service on-line, without the person having to leave his or her house. In other areas of e-commerce, the telephone, with its 1-800 numbers, has been around for awhile and, more  recently, fax machines are being used to place orders as well. The concept known as "e-commerce" has exploded during the last few years, basically because of convenience and ease in  purchasing and the fact that, without the middle-man, e-commerce tends to be less expensive both to buy and to set up.  However, how has e-commerce impacted the world economy as a whole? Is e-commerce practical only for the United States or are other nations, such as the European Union and Africa  starting to get online? Is e-commerce really the way that people will buy and sell in the future? This paper will examine such issues and determine how much impact e-commerce  has on the world economy now, and how much it will have in the future. According to eMarketer, an organization that studies  trends in e-commerce and other electronic-oriented issues, total worldwide retail e-commerce was anticipated to reach $550 billion during 2001, with the idea that revenues could surpass $1 trillion in 2003