This unit provides an introduction to the deployment of business systems for B2C Internet Commerce. It covers the strategy, technology and implementation issues in Internet Commerce, in particular the selection of software and hardware systems used in on-line transactions. It builds the students understanding about the infrastructure for Internet Commerce by outlining the web markup languages, popular internet applications, protocols and utility programs. The unit also outlines various web-based tools for B2C Internet Commerce, including web server hardware and software options and their various strengths and scalability. Web site hosting options and their implications, web client/server architecture and various communication models, are also discussed. This coverage will provide students with knowledge about the purpose, advantages and disadvantages of both hardware and software systems for building Internet Commerce platform.
The unit also enables students to develop understanding and practical hands on experience of some software packages for fundamental B2C Internet Commerce services, such as catalog display, transaction processing, and shopping carts. Suitable object-oriented business applications software packages, such as Microsoft Visual Interdev, Microsoft Visual Basic and SQL Server database, ECommPro and similar software packages will be used to demonstrate the concept.
Further, the unit introduces other key solutions to the current Internet Commerce applications. The unit develops students understanding on the re-intermediation trend of portals, the implication of the push-pull model in the information portals, the use of search engine and the characteristics and properties of software agents in business applications.
Objectives
This unit aims to develop students' appreciation of the Internet technology for commercial applications. Upon the completion of this unit, students:
will understand strategy, technology and implementation issues for B2C Internet Commerce
will appreciate various eBusiness revenue models and strategies enabled by the internet
will be able to develop eSolution for simple business applications, including for displaying catalogs and processing transactions (exclusion: security of payment)
will understand business related issues, the opportunities and challenges in the Internet marketplace.
Prerequisites
Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed BUS1060 Computer Programming for Business, or equivalent. You should have general e-commerce knowledge.
Unit relationships
BUS3960 is an elective unit in the Bachelor of Business Information Systems and other undergraduate degrees.
Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed BUS1060 Computer Programming for Business, or equivalent. You should have general e-commerce knowledge.
You may not study this unit and IMS3280, BUS5960 in your degree.
Texts and software
Required text(s)
Sugianto L F, BUS3960 Lecture Notes and Tutorial Material
Schneider G P, Electronic Commerce - Seventh Annual Edition (previous edition is generally acceptable), Course Technology Thomson Learning, 2006
C Darie and K Watson, Beginning ASP.Net 1.1 E-Commerce, From Novice to Professional, 2ed rev., Apress, ISBN 1590592549
Textbook availability
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
Software requirements
Microsoft Visual Studio.Net, eg. Professional edition 2003
IIS web server
SQL Server 2000
eCommPro (eCommPro v.2 trial version may be downloaded from http://www.trellian.com/ecomm/index.html)
Software may be:
downloaded from http://www.trellian.com/ecomm/index.html
Hardware requirements
Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 12 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.
Recommended reading
Treese G W and Stewart L C,Designing Systems for Internet Commerce, Addison Wesley, 1998.
Library access
You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject. Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.
Study resources
Study resources for BUS3960 are:
lecture slides, tutorial materials, assignment specifications and reading list. Visit the BUS3960 website on MUSO to download the resources.
eBusiness Strategy and Revenue Models, eCommPro, .Net Environment
Schneider Ch3, Darie Watson Ch1
24 Jul
3
Technology Infrastructure, SQL Server 2000, Object Model, Technology Infrastructure
S Ch2, DW Ch1,2
31 Jul
4
Object Model, Development Options
S Ch8,9
7 Aug
5
Developing eSolution using Object model
DW Ch 1,2
14 Aug
6
Product Catalog
DW Ch3
21 Aug
7
Product Catalog
DW Ch3,4
28 Aug
8
Product Catalog, Search Facility
DW Ch4,5
4 Sep
9
Search Facility, Administering the shop
DW Ch5,8
11 Sep
10
Administering the shop, Shopping Basket
DW Ch8,9
18 Sep
Non teaching week
11
Shopping Basket
DW Ch9
2 Oct
12
Auctions, Portals, Search Engines
S Ch6
9 Oct
13
Revision
-
16 Oct
Timetable
The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
Assessment
Assessment weighting
Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments with a weighting of 40% and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.
Assessment Policy
To pass this unit you must:
You must get at least 50% in the final exam in order to pass the unit. If you fail the final exam, the final mark returned to you will be your exam mark out of 100 (your assignment marks will not be included)
Your score for the unit will be calculated by:
A1* 10% + A2 * 30% + Exam * 60%
Assessment Requirements
Assessment
Due Date
Weighting
Hotmail: Free email for sale
14 Aug, 12pm
10%
B2C Implementation
2-9 Oct, tut sessions
30 %
The exam is 2 hours long and is closed book.
Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06
60 %
Assignment specifications will be made available BUS3960 Unit web site on MUSO.
Assignment Submission
Assignments will be submitted by paper submission to Assignment Box 2. On-campus Students Submit the assignment to the Assignment Box, Level 1, Building 63 by submission date, with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached Off Campus (OCL) students [OCL only].
Extensions and late submissions
Late submission of assignments
Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 1 grade per day. Please refer to the Assignment sheet for more detail information.
This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking.
This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment.
Extensions
It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions.
Requests for extensions must be made by email to the lecturer at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.
Grading of assessment
Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:
Grade
Percentage/description
HD High Distinction -
very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction -
high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit -
sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass
acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory
failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.
Assignment return
We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.
Feedback
Feedback to you
You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.
Feedback from you
You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.
And if you are having problems
It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.
Unit improvements
This schedule of week by week topic has been modified as a result of student feedback. You will have the opportunity to give formal feedback by questionaire (unit evaluation) at the end of the semester.
Plagiarism and cheating
Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.
In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work.
When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer.
Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.
Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.
Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.
Communication
Communication methods
Following the lecture, ie. during consultation hours: Thursday- Friday, 1:00 - 2:00 PM Room 135, Building 63
Your tutor (Mr. Rasika Amarasiri or Ms. L Kumari Wickramasinghe) to be consulted during their consultation time.
Notices
Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.
Consultation Times
Thursday, Friday, 1-2pm.
If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:
All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.
