In the first chapter of the e-commerce storybook, the technology largely drove business models. Now the business models are driving technology. This gave us the standard storefront and shopping approach to online business.
Customers log on to a site, where they interact with a growing range of services.
Very quickly, it became apparent that the keys to all aspects of Internet business are customization, personalization and relationship-building. The service provider generates offers, scanning the Web to put together deals. Pricing changes from the stated price to the right price for you. This business model turns the Web into a market of tightly linked supply chains. So behind the customized front ends to their online business services, Dell's and Schwab's sites interact directly with many others, using software tools, catalogs, APIs and links to legacy systems and databases.