E-Business Evolution 2009 Past, present and future e-business strategies discussed by: J.P. Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cancer Research UK, Linden Lab, John Lewis and Echo E-Business

Welcome to E-Business Evolution 2009
Foreword by Deborah Collier, managing director of Echo E-Business

From the biggest multinational corporations down to start-up sole traders, the possibilities of e-business and e-commerce have had a momentous effect. There used to be a clear definition between companies of different sizes, but the opportunities afforded by the Internet have blurred this line - allowing quicker growth and an ever-increasing pool of customers and stakeholders.

The gap between business and technology is becoming just as hazy. Online strategies are now an absolute necessity, even for the smallest or most traditional of traders. In fact, 80 per cent of SMEs now have their own website, according to a recent study.1 Quite simply, the world is turning to face the web. Companies that fail to follow will find themselves left behind.

However, each e-business strategy needs to evolve to align itself with advances in technology, business and consumerism. We're not just talking about websites and e-commerce: online strategies need to look at everything from multi-channel and cross-channel tactics to social networks and beyond. The scope and possibilities of e-business have already changed significantly since the birth of the web. So where is e-business now, and how will it develop?

Echo E-Business has brought together senior figures from a variety of high-profile organisations - PricewaterhouseCoopers, John Lewis, J.P. Morgan, Cancer Research UK and Linden Lab (creators of Second Life) - to discuss how e-business has affected their industry, and how it's set to change in years to come.

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