By focusing our attention on a very narrow and "low-impact" aspect of the overall Internet phenomenon; business-to-consumer e-Commerce (B2C), the "glitter" that has accompanied the growth of the Internet economy has obscured the inherent potential of e-Business for many companies.

There's no question, the Internet does represent a new and exciting sales channel for business. However, the media has centered too much on start-up dot coms - pure-play B2C Internet companies consisting of too much hype and very little substance. This resulted in a cynicism towards the potential benefits of e-Business. It has led many organizations and entrepreneurs to believe that the Internet is a passing fad or that their products do not lend themselves to the Internet. This is unfortunate because, the overwhelming majority (80-90 percent) of the benefits available to organizations are in the areas of business-to-business relationships and internal business processes.

The media (to date) have missed the point with respect to the potential of the Internet for business.

Make no mistake - increased profits can be realized through e-Business implementation, however, the most effective way to accomplish this is by becoming more efficient and connecting to suppliers and customers. The fact of the matter is that every business, of every size, in every sector can benefit by implementing e-Business solutions. An important first step to achieving this, however, is to look past the hype surrounding this issue and approach e-Business just as you would approach any other business challenge.

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