Book excerpt: The International Handbook of Electronic Commerce covers that hot topic - e-commerce! It is designed to assist managers in implementing electronic commerce in their organizations, improving its efficiency and viability, and safeguarding and maintaining e-commerce systems. The book is designed as a practical how to guide, offering extensive examples to illustrate practical applications. The tools and techniques in this handbook can be adapted outright or modified to suit individual needs. Checklists, email and website addresses, exhibits, illustrations, and step-by-step instructions enhance the handbook's practical use. Among the topics discussed are: what electronic commerce is all about; the Internet and access provider industry; Intranets and Extranets; marketing and advertising; electronic data interchange; electronic banking and payment systems; network security; legal, taxation, and accounting issues of e-commerce. The combination of growth in the commercial utilization of the Internet, the rapid changes in technology, and the complexity of management have expanded the scope of duties of business managers. To remain competitive, businesses and their managers must maintain a presence on the Internet. The International Handbook of Electronic Commerce provides readers with a compendium of the latest in current technologies and applications.