| On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known
as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between
businesses rather than between businesses and consumers. Although early
interest centered on the growth of retailing on the Internet (sometimes
called e-tailing), forecasts are that B2B revenue will far exceed business-to-consumers
(B2C) revenue in the near future. According to studies published in early
2000, the money volume of B2B exceeds that of e-tailing by 10 to 1. Over
the next five years, B2B is expected to have a compound annual growth of
41%. The Gartner Group estimates B2B revenue worldwide to be $7.29 trillion
dollars by 2004. In early 2000, the volume of investment in B2B by venture
capitalists was reported to be accelerating sharply although profitable
B2B sites were not yet easy to find. |
