WEEK 1- E-business fundamentals (EBFU)
Lecture 1
→ Founding Father: Cint Cerf --» co-created the internet
→ What is the Internet?
o Originally the creation of the Internet was a result of another project, called ARPANET (Advanced
Research Projects Agency Network)
▪ Types of networks: Centralized vs. Disturbed
o A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities,
consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.
o Nobody and everyboy controls the Internet
o Internet is created from a large number of independently operated networks
o It is fully distributed, so there is no central control
o The internet is a structure of 50-100 of big internet cabels on the bottom floors of the ocean
→ 92% of problems are related to internet and websites has link to hardware
→ Data is essential in our industry --» to be able to analyse, to assess, to benchmark ’numbers’
As shown in the introduction: structure now is that only a few elements in the total of the connection go via
the air. But 95% via cables in the ground, so true, physical connection. Connecting clients via network to
servers. Parcels of data send out via many ‘routes’ compare to motorways: the backbone is leading. Other
element using the internet: e-mail, uploading, social. Internet 3.0 the semantic web, means understanding the
user, social media are embedded or rather IS the new internet.
Where are the servers? They are in specific region: stable, climate, staff, ground, subsidy. Accessibility to
the internet via: wifi, iBeacons, NFC, 5G – satellite. Cables are not all that spectacular (rather small, see
picture) and vulnerable: fishing, earthquakes, wales etc. (Right) central control room of KPN: they control
the main part of internet (backbone) in NL. Nobody owns the internet, but there is some technical councils
who decide (or rather propose) which techniques and protocols are used.
,→ Parts of the Internet
o Email, streaming video, WWWeb, VolP, file transport
o And outside of the bubble there are connectivities to other data sources such as Logins, API
o All these different ‘elements’ are using the internet infra structure. Different protocols for
email etc. using same infrastructure, internet. The internet is like a shell, where all these
(other) techniques also make use of. Links to other digital ‘eco-systems’.
IM
WWWeb
E-mail
Streaming
File video
transport
API
→ Routing over the internet. There is standard protocols (TCP/IP-HTTP). Client does a request, server
responds. Routing can be different each time: information will be split up in small packages: each
following its own route. And ‘at the end’ there is a kind of assembling of all the packages. This
makes the connections less vulnerable to problems at one specific point int the network. The orange
lines are the data sent out by the server via different routes. In reality, in any connection there will be
much more servers and some servers with other tasks as well. The most important ones: DNS
servers: they define where to go to: they keep track of all domain names and servers connected to
that. So client knows where to go.
→ Search: what webpage is shown on which position on SERP (search engine results page) and how?
Many factor influencing this. Main split on the page: organic and commercial. For both there is many
varieties. Example Facebook (like KLM): outage --» when something does not work (down) where,
how. This will always happen and how does it influence your company? Where lies the problem?
Great dependency on connectivity in our industry. Forbidden sites in China: in international context
remember Europe is not the world! Internet and it’s content is not the same everywhere.
→ The Internet does not stop --» technical developments are unstoppable
→ The beginning of the internet was ARPANET, a military project. The experience of tourism, leisure,
hospitality is now like 30 year. In these years internet based company’s, new to the industry, have
disrupted the industry. The business models have totally changed. And the ‘new brands’ are in the
, lead, rather being good in data, techniques then having too much knowledge of the industry. Most of
them would do well in selling groceries or cars as well…
→ Because of the internet, the data and the empowerment of the consumer, business models are
changing. Mega sites Kayak (Bookings holding) have worldwide impact. Major new players like
Bookings: selling over 1.5 million (hotel) night every single day (before Corona)! If you sell this is
one year, you would be in the top 15 biggest tour operators in the Netherlands…So how is a page,
like on Bookings, made? What are the triggers for the content? All these disruptive websites and
business models are made possible by internet techniques. These ‘new’ companies: internet and data
driven are ruling the market, right now.
→ Elements in Internet connectivity
o Technology is called Internet
o Architecture (the way it is called) --» P-to-p or client-server
o Protocols --» TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP e.g.
o Software – languages HTML, scripts: JavaScript, lay-out: CSS etc.
→ Battle to be the hub (the effective centre of an activity, region, or network) on the Internet
o Types networks --» L(local)AN –
W(wireless)AN – Intranet (secured section
w/in the Internet)
o Hardware needed --» Router – cables –
devices - screens
o Geolocation --» Legislation, languages,
blocking?
o Browsers --» Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc.
--» these decide how websites look (very important!!!)
→ What are companies worth at this moment
, → Complicated things on the Internet
o Politics, regulations
o Cultural differences
o Religion
o Humor, local setting
o Economical interests
o Techniques
o Censorship?
o Truth?
→ The Internet is very political --» Internet is the new economy and heavily influences society. So
politicians get involved. Copyrights (IP) problems have create this new regulation. Now all platforms
in fact are responsible for uploaded content that is an infringement on copyright. So, to prevent
claims, the platforms have to build in upload filters: very, very complicated and very controversial.
→ Complicated things on the Internet --» impersenation and identity theft
→ We are all manipulated or ’directed’ --» everything you do on the Internet is personalized for you
→ Data and algorithms
o An algorithm is a list of rules to follow in order to solve a problem (all of the Internet is loads of
algorithm)
o DMP (data management platforms): process, collect, organise data.