What Types of Business Is Conducted Over the Internet?
These days, the number of businesses on the Internet is countless. Everything from traditional stores, commonly referred to as "brick and mortar," to brand new enterprises conduct business or have been created with the help of the Internet. Gaming is also a business niche conducted in cyberspace.
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History
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Originally it was illegal to even have a business on the Internet. The Internet was only to be used for research and education. It wasn't until 1995, when the National Science Foundation stopped its role as arbiter on the Internet, that this policy stopped. (See Reference 1)
Internet Service Providers
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In order to access the Internet, you must use an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP charges you a fee in order to get onto the Internet. The original major ISPs were CompuServe, AOL and Prodigy. At that time, in order to get onto the Internet, you would dial a specific telephone number with your computer. This number would be one run by the ISP and would then link you with the Internet. Now, it is far more common to use what is called broadband, where you remain connected to the Internet as long as your computer is on. Now the large providers are AT&T, Time Warner, Comcast and others.
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Brick and Mortar Stores
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Traditional stores now do business on the Internet, as well. Booksellers such as Borders and Barnes and Noble also have a presence on the web where you are able to order books and have them delivered right to your door. Other traditional stores that are on the Internet range from DIY stores like Lowe's and Home Depot, to huge electronic stores like Best Buy and Fry's.
On the opposite end of the retail spectrum, Amazon--the largest online bookseller--has no brick and mortar stores. Amazon has been so successful with this model that it has added everything from electronics to movies to groceries to its product offerings.
Business to Business
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Many businesses exist strictly because of the Internet. One example are presentation tools. These presentation tools allow a business to explain its services or sell its products to a large group of people at once, even if they are in diverse locations. WebEx is one such company. They allow a business to give a live presentation to other businesses or people for a monthly fee. Companies such as WebEx could not even have existed before the Internet.
There are also businesses that ship office supplies and equipment to other businesses. Staples and Office Depot both have a presence on the Internet in addition to their traditional stores. By being on the Internet, they are able to connect to many more businesses than they would have been able to do otherwise.
Games
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For some, Internet equals video games. Specifically Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). These games attract thousands of people who can play together at the same time. Players play a monthly fee to play together to go on these online adventures. Some examples are World of Warcraft and Everquest.
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