Software Industry: E-Commerce, Encryption and Competitiveness: Bill Gates (1998)

In 2010, the United Kingdom had the biggest e-commerce market in the world when measured by the amount spent per capita.[34] The Czech Republic is the European country where ecommerce delivers the biggest contribution to the enterprises´ total revenue. Almost a quarter (24%) of the country´s total turnover is generated via the online channel.[35] Among emerging economies, China's e-commerce presence continues[when?] to expand. With 384 million internet users, China's online shopping sales rose to $36.6 billion in 2009 and one of the reasons behind the huge growth has been the improved trust level for shoppers. The Chinese retailers have been able to help consumers feel more comfortable shopping online.[36] eCommerce is also expanding across the Middle East. Having recorded the world's fastest growth in internet usage between 2000 and 2009, the region is now[when?] home to more than 60 million internet users. Retail, travel and gaming are the region's top eCommerce segments, in spite of difficulties such as the lack of region-wide legal frameworks and logistical problems in cross-border transportation.[37] E-Commerce has become an important tool for small and large businesses worldwide, not only to sell to customers, but also to engage them.[38][39] In 2012, ecommerce sales topped $1 trillion for the first time in history.[40] Economists have theorized that e-commerce ought to lead to intensified price competition, as it increases consumers' ability to gather information about products and prices. Research by four economists at the University of Chicago has found that the growth of online shopping has also affected industry structure in two areas that have seen significant growth in e-commerce, bookshops and travel agencies. Generally, larger firms are able to use economies of scale and offer lower prices. The lone exception to this pattern has been the very smallest category of bookseller, shops with between one and four employees, which appear to have withstood the trend. E-commerce has grown in importance as companies have adopted Pure-Click and Brick and Click channel systems. We can distinguish between pure-click and brick and click channel system adopted by companies. Pure-Click or Pureplay companies are those that have launched a website without any previous existence as a firm. Bricks-and-Clicks companies are those existing companies that have added an online site for e-commerce. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce Image by World Economic Forum (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons