For e-commerce this means that the number of potential customers who can obtain information about any particular supplier's products is larger. The range of suppliers about which any given customer can obtain information is also widened. This increases competition between suppliers and creates the possibility of new markets for products or services for which a sufficient demand could not previously have been established. It increases the choice available to buyers. A consequence is that many businesses want to use e-commerce to serve customers in countries other than the country in which they are established.
Many customers welcome the possibility of buying from a broader range of suppliers.
In addition, by using the new technologies to reduce the amount of human intervention required to conclude transactions between buyers and sellers, costs can be reduced. In some cases, such as music, software and many financial services, the service which is the object of the transaction can also be delivered without human intervention reducing costs yet further. However, the ease with which the technology can be used to provide service across borders is not matched by a corresponding simplicity in the applicable legal or tax regime. The complexity of these regimes is an obstacle for both business and consumers. This note represents the personal views of the author.