Is it possible for a young, intelligent person to enter a house with just a bed, a computer, Internet access and the clothes on his back, and to survive without leaving the premises for three months? Andersen Consulting is undertaking an e-commerce research project in which a real person (to be called "dotcoza") will be placed in an empty house to find out just that.
dotcoza will have to satisfy daily functional and personal needs using the World Wide Web. In other words, dotcoza will live entirely via e-commerce, to demonstrate that it is possible to live and thrive without having to make physical trips to obtain real-life products and services.
While dotcoza will not leave his electronic island for 3 months, visitors will come to dotcoza`s house as he interacts with industry and e-commerce experts in an effort to critique today`s e-commerce and predict tomorrow`s growth areas. But nobody will be allowed to bring in any supplies - unless they have been ordered on the Internet.
"E-commerce has already altered the fundamentals of business and social life," comments Roy Andrews, e-commerce partner at Andersen Consulting. "dotcoza will demonstrate how a quantum change in business and social interactions is already possible.
"The e-commerce Industry in South Africa has not attracted as much hype as it has in some markets such as USA and Europe. Yet in our interactions with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and our SA clients we have seen enough innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to convince us that e-commerce is a ticking bomb waiting to explode," states Andrews.
South Africa`s propensity for technology adoption is exceptionally high, as has been exemplified by the meteoric rise of the cell phone. Andrews says the Internet will become the means for SA to compete globally and will enable and encourage the growth of new businesses that will help address SA`s unemployment crisis.
He adds: "The unique nature of this project is that we are not taking an academic approach. We will focus on the practical first-hand experience of "dotcoza" as he sets up and operates his virtual environment. We will be in a position to analyse how well the Internet can support an individual`s needs from concept right through to fulfillment and post sale support. These will be analysed by our dedicated e-commerce team and the results published through the media and on dotcoza`s Website on a regular basis."
While the focus is primarily on e-commerce, the human-interest story is significant. Webcams will be set up in all rooms of the house and will follow dotcoza as he lives his life - broadcasting 24hrs a day on the world wide web at www.dotcoza.co.za. "While he will be living on an e-commerce island, he will not be alone," says Andrews.
The project will be launched on 22 February with the announcement of who dotcoza is, the unveiling of his "island" home, and the announcement of Andersen`s joint sponsors. dotcoza will officially commence his digitally driven life in March. A daily diary of activities and analyses of his research will be documented on the Website: www.dotcoza.co.za. All contents of the house purchased over the Internet by dotcoza, will be donated to charity at the end of the project.
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