Electronic Commerce: Markets and Users

This chapter provides an analysis of electronic commerce markets and users. Here we describe the tools necessary to find, assess, select and interpret the wealth of available information that characterizes electronic markets and the Internet user population. We begin with an introduction to relevant Internet statistics as well as the quantitative and attitudinal measures commonly employed. Next, we portray the past, current, and future Internet user populations. Finally, the major advantages and disadvantages of different estimation techniques are highlighted, and the major producers of Internet statistics and forecasts are identified. Here our emphasis is on the reliability and trustworthiness of reported research results.