Companies rushed to develop their e-commerce strategies. Many have failed. Nike, as the world's largest brand-name sports apparel company, is one of the few survivors. Unlike other companies, Nike has a clear goal right from the start. "We know consumers want more information about Nike products, how they work and where to get them. I like to think of today as the continuation of Nike's e-commerce experiment . . . a chance for consumers to contribute to our learning how to better serve their needs," says Mary Kate Buckley, Director of New Business Ventures. ( Nike, 4)

Nike officially stepped into e-commerce on February 11, 1999, when consumers can buy products on Nike.com. (Nike, 4) The purpose of the move is to correspond Nike with the original purpose of Internet, exchange information. Therefore, Nike.com is not only a product-selling site, but also a communication and marketing effort. This concept distingui

Seven Eleven Japan is another example of how large companies are adopting

Moreover, with the launch of Nike iD, Nike has taken e-commerce to another level. The program allows customer to custom-design their footwear. Numerous colour combinations and personal message can be added on the shoe. Customers now can purchase an unique pair of shoes with their name on it. (Darwin, 2) They can virtually "build" Nike shoes. During the process, Nike builds up special relationships with the customers. "It evolved based on customer input. They talked, we listened. We saw [Nike iD] as an opportunity to talk to and listen to the consumer, one-on-one," Mark Allen, general manager of Nike iD says. "It's a strong relationship builder between Nike and the customer, and the customer and the product." (Get Personal, 3)

Valeo was a large, decentralized firms with over 100 separate divisions. Each division does not work together as a team because each is responsible for their own profit/loss accounts. With the internet, the company was able to pull their isolated divisions together by uniting all internal processes and systems through standardized web-based tools.

Siemens, Germany's largest electronic company plans to invest 860 million U.S. dollars to turn itself into e-business. An internal network system allows data and information travel speedily throughout the company. As a result, Siemens is now more interconnected and achieves a higher level of control within the company. Work environments are more flexible and creative. Moreover, the internet has saved huge operating cost for the corporation.

It is evident that these eight corporations are on the same direction. They are all using new technological innovations, which in t

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Approximate Word count = 1180
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)