Take Internet payments, for example. There are many choices today, and not all of them are compatible or interoperable. In the short term, however, encrypted credit cards are the norm. Another area to consider down the road might be the multimedia user interface supported by agent-based interaction models. As the quantity and complexity of accessible information and services increases, so does the requirement for more sophistication in user interface and search methods.
Some modules are available together from the same source.
And there are standards of interoperation for making these pieces work together. A CyberCash wallet, for instance, can be integrated with just about any type of Web site. Metering and measuring software can plug in to all major Web sites, as well. Having developed modular growth capabilities, IS can respond proactively to E-commerce initiatives, leapfrogging an Internet commerce agenda that otherwise might have been imposed from management above.