With cyberspace about to overtake China as the world`s next big market, e-commerce is the way of the future. To take advantage of the opportunities this growth presents, both locally and globally, a new e-business company, e.com institute, is set to make an impact on the South African e-commerce industry.
Established by well-known IT industry experts John Berry and Cassim Parak, with partner Paul Yammin, e.com institute has already acquired several high profile e-commerce and security agencies, and is also working on other strong joint ventures to bring to market a focused e-business solution.
Backed up by a team of highly experienced technical and development resources, e.com institute will focus on developing and marketing e-business solutions and establishing an e-commerce trading platform for open and closed communities within consumer and business segments.
"We take a very holistic view of e-business," says Berry, "and believe that the market needs a company that can offer a totally integrated, secure, end-to-end e-business solution. That must include development, infrastructure, secure payment processing, customer service and strong security skills. e.com institute delivers just that."
Berry says that the Net has already had a greater impact on the world in the last few years than all the other disruptive technologies of the twentieth century, including the car, electricity and the telephone.
"The Internet is changing the way people and businesses interact. Whether in a business-to-business or business-to-consumer context, more and more people are using the Web to gather and exchange information, shop and pay for good and services, and literally transform the way traditional business practices are conducted."
Already the early e-commerce sales have been impressive and with upwards of one billion people expected to be connected to the Internet over the next few years, this growth will increase exponentially.
Research shows that the global e-commerce market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2001 while the Internet Economy, made up of companies directly generating all or part of their revenues from Internet or Internet-related products and services, generated an estimated $301.4 billion in US revenue and was responsible for 1.2 million jobs in 1998.
"But," says Berry, "the changes the Net is making go way beyond e-commerce into e-business.
"This is the area where entirely new business models and companies are being formed, using Internet technologies to challenge traditional business. Companies are using the Net to lower their costs drastically across supply chains, to support functions, to enter new markets and create totally new revenue streams.
"However, as impressive as all this may be, there is far more to come and we are really only in the first five minutes of the game. We literally haven`t seen anything yet when it comes to the great changes and benefits the Internet will force on businesses, consumers and communities."
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e.com institute
John Berry has 17 years` experience in the IT industry, both locally and internationally, with all-round experience in networking, IT security solutions, messaging and IT strategic consulting.
He has worked in management at various IT organisations, including Lotus Development, Blue Sky Networks and, most recently, Symantec where he was involved with the entry and subsequent management of Symantec Corporation in both the African and Middle East regions as regional director Africa & Middle East. He has been a frequent speaker at IT conferences both locally and internationally and has written many articles on the IT industry, its technology and impacts.
Cassim Parak started his career in information technology in 1987 when he qualified with a Diploma in Electronic Engineering at ML Sultan Technikon in Durban. After his studies, he worked as a technician and later as technical manager for a networking company in Pietermaritzburg for three years. He also lectured in Engineering Mathematics at a tertiary institution for a year.
In January 1991, he moved to HNR Computers, a distributor of IT products headquartered in Cape Town. In his nine years with the company, he moved through the ranks of product management, group business development, sales and marketing management and eventually to lead a R200 million company as the managing director.
It was during 1997 that Cassim initiated investigations into electronic software distribution, electronic commerce and transaction processing across the Internet. This research led to the beginnings of a passion that eventually resulted in the establishment of e.com institute.
Paul Yammin studied law at the University of Natal and began his articles at Werksmans Attorneys where he practised for a number of years before joining the practice of Yammin Hammond & Partners, a firm of attorneys.
Mark Balios has a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering and while at Unisys, completed his Certified Novell Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certifications. Since then he has worked as a network engineer, consultant and systems architect for a range of organisations including Usko and Standard Corporate Merchant Bank, where he moved the systems and provided connectivity to the mainframe at the JSE when it moved on to the JET system. He is currently studying for his Executive MBA at Henley. He is also an associate Microsoft consultant.
E-business company e.com institute was set up by John Berry, Cassim Parak and Paul Yammin in April 1999.
Backed up by a team of highly experienced technical and development resources, e.com institute will focus on developing and marketing e-business solutions and establishing an e-commerce trading platform for open and closed communities within consumer and business segments.
Offering a totally integrated, secure, end-to-end e-business solution which includes development, infrastructure, secure payment processing, customer service and strong security skills, e.com institute takes a holistic view of e-business.
The company has already acquired several high profile e-commerce and security agencies, such as CyberSource and Internet Dynamics, and is working on other strong joint ventures to bring to market a focused e-business solution.