Electronic commerce is here to stay. No matter how big the dot-com crisis was or how far the e-entrepreneurs' shares fell in the market, the fact remains that there is still confidence in electronic trading. At least it would appear that investors are confident in e-companies again. However, not only trust of venture capitalists is of importance--consumers also have to have faith in on-line business. After all, without consumers there is no e-business. Interacting lawyers, technicians and economists are needed to create a trustworthy electronic commerce environment. To achieve this...

Governments across the world have recognised the potential of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to bring about fundamental renewal in not only government and public sector processes, but also their relationship with civil societal groups, the private sector, citizens, and various other actors. ICT provides enormous opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness in all kinds of policy sectors, and promises a real dialogue between policy makers and the public. This second edition of the prescient and influential work first published in 2001 includes updated texts of...