Defining the Range of B2B E-Commerce Formats

Much has been written about the potential decline of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) as a result of the Internet. Developed in the 1960s, EDI was the original embodiment of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce prior to the advent of the Internet. However, with the advent of the Internet, new opportunities and threats for EDI have emerged The aim of this paper is to examine whether EDI has a role to play in the world of internet based B2B E-commerce, and what form this role will take. Existing research is examined in order to evaluate the impact of the Internet on EDI, and to define how EDI is, and will continue to be incorporated into B2B e-commerce in new forms. A B2B Options matrix is presented that places EDI in context against B2B e-marketplaces, enabling companies to evaluate how/whether EDI has a role to play in meeting their e-commerce requirements.