But I think that it is wise to get support for the assertions that all of the new technologies and business practices now coming to the fore will prove to be as revolutionary as some of their marketing materials suggest. Clearly, there is great potential to improve efficiency using Internet-based e-commerce strategies such as electronic marketplaces and business-to-business supply chain management.
But no one really knows how big those productivity gains will be, how long they will take to be realized, and who will be the ultimate beneficiaries. Have not other technologies emerged over the past fifty years - such as the television, the jet engine, or even air conditioning - that were equally revolutionary?