Commercialization of Web Portals

Abstract

Portals may be defined as starting points on the Web for users which may lead them to e-business services (Adar & Huberman, 2000). Portals are part and parcel of e-business (Kappel, Werner, & Schroder, 1998) whose common goal is the electronic support of business or market transactions (Book, Gruhn, & Schope, 2000). E-business affects the way businesses interact with consumers, as well as the way businesses interact with one another. Electronic interactions both increase the efficiency of purchasing and allow an increased reach across a global marketplace. Partially as a result of competition among various Web portals, a more open e-business environment is developing, which allows businesses to trade more flexibly with each other (Trastour, 2003).