support of Internet & Web features

Together, the Internet and the Web make e-commerce possible by allowing computer users to access product and service information and to complete purchases online. Some of the specific features that support e-commerce include:
• E-mail
      which uses a series of protocols to enable messages containing text, images, sound, and video clips to be transferred from one Internet user to another. E-mail is used in e-commerce as a marketing and customer support tool.

• Instant messaging
       which allows messages to be sent between two users almost instantly, allowing parties to engage in a two-way conversation. In e-commerce, companies are using instant messaging as a customer support tool.

• Search engines
         which identify Web pages that match a query submitted by a
user. Search engines assist users in locating Web pages related to items they may want to buy.

• Online forums (message boards)
        which enable users to communicate with each other, although not in real time, and online chat, which allows users to communicate in real time (simultaneously), are being used in e-commerce as community-building tools.

• Streaming media
   which enables music, video, and other large files to be sent to
users in chunks so that when received and played, the file comes through uninterrupted.
Like standard digital files, streaming media may be sold as digital
content and used as a marketing tool.

• Cookies
which are small text files that allow a Web site to store information
about a user, are used by e-commerce as a marketing tool. Cookies allow Web sites to personalize the site to the user and also permit customization and market segmentation.

Web 2.0 features and services include:
• Social networks
     which are online services that support communication within networks of friends, colleagues, and even entire professions.

• Blogs
     which are personal Web pages that typically contain a series of chronological entries (newest to oldest) by the author and links to related Web pages.

• RSS
   which is an XML format that allows users to have digital content, including text, articles, blogs, and podcast audio files, automatically sent to their computers over the Internet.

• Podcasts
   which are audio presentations—such as a radio show, audio from a movie, or simply personal audio presentations—stored as audio files and posted to the Web.

• Wikis
   which are Web applications that allow a user to easily add and edit content on a Web page.

• Music and video services
    such as iTunes and digital video on demand.

• Internet telephony
 which uses VoIP to transmit audio communication over the Internet.

• Online software and services
  such as Web apps, widgets, and gadgets.