Bedford, MA May 25, 2001 The full benefits of e-commerce will not be realized until small and midsize business are able to get on board the e-business train, according to an analyst at the technology consulting firm Yankee Group.
"The e-commerce revolution will only happen if SMBs (small and midsize businesses) participate fully, because they are the final link in the supply chain," said Lisa Williams, director of B2B commerce and applications at Boston-based Yankee Group. Williams spoke recently to more than 100 e-commerce consultants and resellers.
"Until SMBs are online, the majority of U.S. businesses will be unable to have a true e-commerce-enabled supply chain," Williams said. Yankee Group has predicted that by 2005, online trade transactions have the potential to reach $2.7 trillion.
SMBs have faced various obstacles to getting online, including the need to respond to customers adopting diverse e-procurement solutions and a lack of affordable tools and applications targeting small and midsize businesses.
As one possible solution to SMB's dilemma, Williams pointed to a new product from applications provider Anchorsilk, which offers software for enabling SMBs to create personalized e-commerce sites. "Anchorsilk offers an important solution to address this need," Williams said.
Anchorsilk founder and president Omar Hussain touts his company's software as a "Fortune 500-quality solution without the Fortune 500 complexity or price."
For an in-depth look at B2B enablement issues, see the article "Boarding Call" in the February 2001 issue of iSource Business.
