The dominant feature of the development of modern society is the introduction of information technology and computer communications in all areas of activity. The term information age (information age) has become international and characterizes a qualitatively new stage of development in which information plays a leading role and determines the nature of all economic, social and political processes.

The information revolution has an impact on the nature of the activities of any enterprise. The very concept of an enterprise, traditionally defined as a separate production and technological organization that unites labor force with the means of production for the production of goods and services, loses its essential characteristics of isolation, spatial and territorial localization. Network or virtual organizations are developing, i.e. organizations in which the boundaries between its participants, resources and divisions are blurred due to intensive information exchange. One of the prerequisites for the emergence of such enterprises is the rapid growth of teletechnics and telecommunications, in which there is no need for spatial concentration of participants in a single labor process. The end result of the enterprise - products and services - is also being transformed. In the national product of developed countries, an increasing specific gravity occupy not material, but virtual products and services.

At the same time, in the domestic economic literature, the question of the classification and practical applicability of the developed methods in the field of virtual (from Latin virtualis - possible) marketing is practically not disclosed.

Hence, my goal is to systematize advanced approaches to information and software support for the marketing activities of enterprises.

Functional essence of virtual marketing

Virtual marketing is a system of knowledge about a reasonable supply of goods on the market based on information technologies that integrate marketing activities in the internal and external environment of the enterprise.

Usage computer technology allows you to provide the following advantages of virtual marketing compared to marketing based on traditional technologies:

1) lack of spatial localization, the ability to carry out activities outside of a specific territory or local market;

2) providing the opportunity to reduce the time for finding partners, making deals, developing new products, etc.;

3) reducing the asymmetry of information (its incompleteness and uneven distribution) and, as a result, reducing information transaction costs;

4) reduction of other transaction costs, including overhead costs (travel expenses, losses from failed, illegal or dishonest transactions); reducing the risk associated with uncertainty;

5) reduction of transformation costs due to optimal choice the structure of the product range, reducing the time to develop and implement a new projection, sound pricing policy, reducing the number of intermediaries and distribution costs, etc.;

6) rationalization of the management structure, including by squeezing it vertically, reducing and merging a number of functions, and sharing responsibility.

Virtual marketing according to the nature of the functions performed can be divided into three areas: the study of the external environment, the organization of internal marketing activities, specific areas of activity.

The practical implementation of virtual marketing is possible on the basis of the creation of an enterprise marketing information system, i.e. systems for continuous monitoring, storage and processing of marketing data necessary for the development management decisions. An enterprise marketing information system may include:

1. information block (databases);

2. bank of models and methods;

3. software tools and integrated systems. Let's take a closer look at these blocks.

Database. The marketing information block consists of databases replenished through field and desk research. Field research in virtual marketing is implemented to a limited extent based on the methods of electronic surveys and teleconferences. The largest share is occupied by desk research, which is carried out by searching for secondary information on electronic and paper media. At the same time, paper media still occupy the largest share among information sources. For example, according to expert opinion, in the US, only 12% of information is presented in electronic form and structured; about 15% - unstructured data in electronic form ( text information); about 73% of information is traditionally stored on paper.

In Russia, paper media are currently also the most popular. However, the use of these media is greatly facilitated in cases where various optical pattern recognition systems, scanners, etc. are used.

Let us consider in more detail the possibilities of obtaining secondary information using information technologies that allow the use of the following sources of information.

To study the external environment of marketing, general statistical and demographic data are used to assess the state of the market, its development prospects, and trends in supply and demand. This sector of information sources covers state statistics, economic forecasts, and analytical studies carried out by various organizations and specialists. results of public opinion polls and sociological research. Databases of accounting and statistical information are being developed international organizations(World Bank, UNIDO, etc.), bodies of the State Statistics Committee, the Customs Committee, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, research institutes. Despite the fact that these organizations are constantly improving statistical accounting systems, methods of collecting and processing information, a large amount of information goes out of sight: uncontrolled export-import operations, production withdrawn from the sphere of taxation, "shuttle trade", etc. Therefore, a necessary addition to the data obtained are economic forecasts and analytical studies that can be obtained from electronic versions business and specialized magazines.

In addition to general statistical data, marketing activities use a wide range of commercial information. In accordance with the growing needs of entrepreneurs in Russia, there is a rather intensive growth of commercial information products and marketing research firms. Currently, there are four types of information databases on the market that can become external sources for the formation of enterprise databases.

1) Databases of the first type are the most numerous. They contain the name of the enterprise, its postal and communication details. They are used to establish contractual relations, as well as to form a mailing list;

2) Databases of the second type, in addition to the above information, contain information about supplied and consumed products. The information they contain can be used for business partner search, competition analysis, market segmentation and product positioning.

3) Databases of the third type in addition to more full view; information also provides for the possibility of additions and corrections. Information about companies in such products contains three blocks: address and telephone information, technical and economic indicators, commercial offers enterprises. The first and third blocks are universal for all industries, the second block takes into account the specifics of each industry. The possibility of additions and corrections is provided by purchasing a special program for working with the database or based on the use standard programs like Excel and Access. The most popular product of this class are business guides and programs distributed by the Agency business information"Business card". The "Marketing-Geo" system is also widely used, where on a digital computer map Russian Federation contains information about the location of enterprises, the volume of production, financial and statistical reporting, demographic data by locality, etc. This program provides an opportunity to conduct review studies of regional commodity markets, in particular, it allows you to determine the relative market share, product growth rate and data for market segmentation.

4) Databases of the fourth type contain summary details of legal and individuals, data on supplied and consumed products, the ability to supplement and correct databases, the possibility of feedback. These systems are just beginning to appear on the information market. They allow you to keep track of commercial enterprises and their connections. Currently the only system with feedback is the Counterparty-M system. This system recommended by the Ministry of Economy to the heads of administration of the subjects of the Russian Federation as a federal information system for commodity markets. The product description has five sections. The first section is a thematic heading (87 headings). The second and third sections are the description and type of products. The fourth section is a more extensive description of products, brand, OKP code, standards and a brief explanation, promotional materials. The fifth section - specification cards, terms of delivery, data on wholesale, retail and settlement prices. Currently, many enterprises, especially large ones, independently form databases. The need for this kind of activity arises due to the complexity of processing a significant amount of constantly changing information (diversified production, a large number of consumers, a complex structure of supply chains). Forming your own databases allows you to solve a number of specific applied problems that arise in the course of practical activities and also serve as information for strategic analysis and planning. The specific nature and content of databases is determined industry affiliation, characteristics of the enterprise and the nature of the products.

On industrial enterprises The database creation process is as follows:

Initially, the composition of the initial information is determined. The following data serve as initial sources of information:

order portfolios (customers and their contact details, the required quantity of products, their brands, dimensions, shipment schedule, type of mutual settlements:

about the shipped products;

· about suppliers, data on which are formed on the basis of both internal and external sources.

Next, using the standard Excel programs and Access, based on the application of various information filters in the dialogue mode at the request of the manager, it is possible to solve various types of tasks: to determine the structure of needs by product types, brands, but by consumer geography, by cost, and the dynamics of these indicators. Similar data can be obtained for suppliers. In the marketing of consumer goods, customer databases are also being formed, which become not just an affective marketing tool, but one of the main assets of the enterprise. The main information unit of the client base is the consumer, which is described by characteristics: demographic, economic, geographical, social, behavioral. The specific composition of features depends on the specifics of the product, the scope of its application and the purposes of data generation. The client database allows you to establish long-term relationships with actual consumers, to respond more "sensitively" to changing their needs, to offer and advertise latest products, conduct sales promotion activities, etc. It also opens up opportunities to attract potential customers.

Information models and techniques

The second component of the marketing information system is a bank of models and techniques necessary for the systematization and standardization of the initial data. It is formed jointly by marketing specialists and software specialists. Currently, this component of the marketing information system in most enterprises is the least developed. main reason This lies in the insufficiency of specialists in these areas of qualification in an adjacent field of knowledge (for marketers - in the field of programming, for programmers - in the field of marketing research). From our point of view, the basis for the formation of a bank of models of a marketing information system can be a classification by time factors, management subjects and objects of marketing activity.

1) Depending on the time factor, static and dynamic models can be distinguished. Static models describe the marketing organization scheme at the enterprise (structural units, their functions, information flows, etc.). These models (diagrams, graphs, data flow diagrams) allow you to describe the structure of the company, but do not provide information about its current state, which changes over time. Dynamic models allow you to describe marketing processes in dynamics. Unlike static, dynamic information models allow you to update the values ​​of variables, change models, dynamically calculate various process parameters and marketing results.

2) According to the subjects of departure, it is possible to single out information models and methods used on various levels enterprise management: top management level, middle level, lower level management and specialists. The main content of the activities of top management is the development of strategic goals and activities and the organization of enterprise resources for their implementation. Therefore, the main models used at this level should be considered models of the "firm - external environment" type, including SWOT analysis matrices, simulation models, product-market matrices, portfolio and other models. strategic planning(6, 7). These models are used in the development of a general business model of the enterprise. At the middle level of management, the general business model is transformed into models of individual business processes (a model for developing new products, marketing, etc.). At the lowest level of management and the level of specialists, there is a further detailing of marketing processes horizontally, including diagrams of individual subprocesses and operations.

3) According to marketing objects, models for processing information about consumers, products, processes, suppliers and documents can be distinguished. Information about consumers is structured primarily in client bases data, the formation of which was discussed above. In addition, here it is necessary to note such standard methods as segmentation grids, models of consumer behavior, statistical tables on the volume and dynamics of sales in the context of consumers. Information about products is also contained in many developed methods: models for assessing the market adequacy of a product, models for assessing competitiveness, the above-mentioned portfolio analysis matrices, as well as optimization models. The latter solve the problem of optimizing the structure production program from the standpoint of the selected criteria (profit, sales volume), as well as external and internal restrictions.

The least developed part today can be considered the models of processing information about processes. The introduction of these models is associated with the development of the theory and practice of reengineering. In reengineering, all business processes are divided into external and internal, which are respectively described using internal and external models. The external model describes the processes that satisfy the interests of customers and interests outside the enterprise. The internal model models the construction of each business process in terms of work tasks and resources used. Since the external process reflects the flow of activities, which is subsequently taken into account when developing internal business processes, mixed models are used in practice (for example, in the process universal control quality). Information about suppliers is treated similarly to information about consumers.

The above classification is not exhaustive. It can be supplemented by the classification of models according to general functions management, marketing functions, etc.

Software tools and integrated systems

The third most important component of the marketing information system is the means of data processing. They include software tools, expert systems and decision support tools, as well as various integrated management systems that allow you to standardize the decision-making process in the field of marketing. As a result, if earlier a large range of rather complex tasks could be performed only by specialists qualified in the field of marketing, then at present the work of a marketer can be performed by specialists from related departments. The distribution of the database also strengthens the internal connectivity of business processes, as it provides the opportunity for the emergence of the most important marketing information simultaneously in various divisions companies.

The integration of microprocesses, i.e. the ability to make critical decisions online, is provided by a decision support system (DSS). Based on decision support tools, modeling tools and access to databases, it becomes possible to make hierarchical decision-making, while at present most decisions are made by managers. SPM allows you to analyze, plan and control various marketing operations, consider various solutions and design them according to the "what if ..." principle.

Currently, data processing systems are not widely used in the market, as enterprises prefer to use standard software products. The main factor in increasing the effectiveness of a marketing information system is the ability to integrate into a common mechanism organizational management. Therefore, marketing blocks are provided in most integrated enterprise management systems that are common on the market ("Galaktika", "Sail", "Etalon +" and others). However, in comparison with other functional blocks, such as finance and accounting, production, personnel, they are poorly developed and not sufficiently integrated into the overall management system. According to integrated systems providers, marketing blocks are the least in demand and most installations are made without them.

Limitations of implementing virtual marketing

Summing up the domestic experience in the development of virtual marketing, I would like to highlight the main factors that limit its use in domestic enterprises.

The first group of factors is associated with the characteristics of information, the conditions for its receipt and processing:

· secondary information obtained from external sources is of a rather generalized nature and is designed for the "average" user; additional costs are required to adapt to the conditions of a particular enterprise;

• the reliability and representativeness of the available data is not known;

data are updated on average 1-2 times a year and have time to become outdated;

Obtaining data for most enterprises is associated with certain organizational difficulties: lack of information about provider firms, little experience and difficulties

searching for up-to-date data, problems with organizing applications and placing orders.

The second group of factors is related to the complexity of the formation of a marketing information system within the enterprise. First of all, there is a subjective factor associated with the underestimation of the role of information and information systems in the activities of enterprises. It manifests itself, on the one hand, in the fact that entrepreneurs do not consider the information resource as a component that has economic value and is subject to monetary valuation. On the other hand, modern information technologies are perceived in the mass consciousness mainly as a means of electronic processing data, enabling automation and reducing manual labor. The possibility of creating an integrated management system based on information technology has not yet been considered as a real prospect. In addition, the creation of a marketing information system at enterprises is associated with the restructuring of the document management system, which requires a lot of time (for example, it takes more than a year to introduce large integrated systems).

These difficulties are largely objective in nature and will be eliminated gradually, following the dynamics of the technological factor. At the same time, it should be remembered that, despite the given objectivity, any company has the ability of conscious rationality, which consists in the ability to develop solutions, streamline and change the structure of the organization to gain advantages over the objective market mechanism.

e-business commerce cloud

HANS A. WUTRICH
Professor
ANDREAS F. PHILIP
Assistant, Project Manager "Virtual Enterprises"
Bundeswehr University, Munich (Germany)

Virtual enterprise as a temporary form of cooperation provides customers with benefits by optimizing the system of production of goods
As a result of combining the resources and competencies of partners, the virtual organization achieves a synergistic effect
Classical industrial society can be replaced by
not an information society, but a society that knows no boundaries

In management theory, the definition of “virtual” has become a key one. Increasingly, they talk about virtual sales, banking, funds, factories and organizations. In principle, a virtual enterprise has the same capabilities and potential as a traditional one. But at the same time, it does not have such an institutional and structural framework. Such a “quasi-organization” can be defined as follows:

virtual enterprise- this is a voluntary temporary form of cooperation of several, as a rule, independent partners (enterprises, institutions, individuals), which, thanks to the optimization of the system of production of goods, provides great benefits to customers. Based on a shared business vision and a strong culture of trust, cooperative partners share their core competencies in the form of resources and capabilities to achieve a better, cheaper, faster, more flexible and competitive advantage on an international scale. From the client's point of view, the dynamic network acts as a single enterprise, using the capabilities of the latest information and communication technologies.

Examples of more concise definitions of a virtual enterprise can also be given. Thus, the German researcher K. Bleicher understands a virtual corporation as an interorganizational flexible enterprise created for a while, the main goal of which is to gain benefits by expanding the range of goods and services.

In the mid-1990s, a group of German and Swiss researchers carried out a project to study virtual pioneering enterprises. Its main idea is to obtain initial information about them and determine the methodological basis for further research. The project focused on “real” virtualization, i.e. data on the practical activities of virtual pioneer enterprises served as sources of information.

The study covered more than 50 virtual organizations across industries and countries, with six of them being particularly rigorously scrutinized. The research methodology included face-to-face, semi-standardized interviews with entrepreneurs and senior managers of virtual enterprises in Asia, the United States and Western Europe. The project was supported by the Swiss Society for Organizations, which in the autumn of 1997 published a review entitled "The Benefits of Virtualization".

Real virtuality and its types

The virtualization space includes four categories of phenomena - the virtual market, virtual reality, as well as intra- and inter-organizational networking. The latter are covered by one concept - virtual organizational forms. In intra-organizational forms, the degree of expression of virtuality as a correspondence to its specific features is lower than in inter-organizational forms (see diagram). In the virtual space, the boundaries between categories and types of virtualization can intersect.

Under virtual market refers to the communication and information services offered by the Internet for commercial purposes. The elements of the electronic market are:

Free access to the market and equality of partners;

Voluntary participation and exposure to market events to the influence of participants;

Increasing market transparency while reducing differences in partner awareness.

Real-time virtual marketplaces enable world-wide trading around the clock, rendering space and time-based notions of the market meaningless, and enabling services to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of trade in general and marketing in particular, and also improve customer satisfaction. The key words here are virtual shopping, banking, education, virtual fairs, virtual publishing houses, e-commerce, etc.

A virtual reality is an imitation of real development and production processes in cyberspace, which is both a medium and a tool. As a tool, it allows you to intuitively build complex structures, as an environment - makes it possible to mentally imagine the product, buildings, jobs, machines and equipment before they take on a real existence. In this case, a person is perceived as part of a virtual environment, which, with the help of a combination of spatial, sound and visual signals, forms a qualitatively new understanding of things. Through the study of virtual reality, an attempt is made to establish a connection between the environmental and technical aspects of interactive communication. The main areas of application of the results of these studies are the creation of virtual prototypes, as well as virtual labor and production planning.

Intraorganizational networks cover a wide range work at home And work using telecommunications, as well as work using knowledge banks or knowledge networks. Their common feature is the association in single network individual employees with the help of modern information and communication technologies. Pioneers in this part of the virtual work organization are IBM, Siemens, as well as large consulting companies and banks.

Many are currently in operation interorganizational dynamic networks, that go beyond the boundaries of one enterprise:

temporary modular network brings together system partners with a clear focus on key competencies. Such a network is characterized by low substitution of partners, limited life span, and asymmetric dependence of network partners. The cooperation between Mercedes and Swatch (Smart Car) shows how system partners manage to distribute investment risks and achieve the intended results;

network for individual orders is designed to mobilize high quality project-oriented resources. The replacement of partners is provided, the terms of orders are strictly limited, the dependence of partners in the network is symmetrical. In Baden-Württemberg, the waste management consulting agency ABAG organizes groups on request to deal with the respective tasks. The work of the network shows that with the help of a small permanent team, it is possible to achieve effective order fulfillment even in the public sector. There are several other similar virtual formations in Germany;

target networks in the fields of air and road transport, insurance, as well as in the chemical industry show how “smart” solutions can be offered to the market with the help of virtual cooperation. Flexible networks allow you to optimize services to customers. Cooperation in such networks, characterized by a high degree of openness and symmetrical dependence of partners, is designed to offer common solutions;

centrally managed network practiced, in particular, by Nintendo. The experience of such a virtual enterprise demonstrates the possibility of surviving with the help of a global network with replaceable partners that focuses on its own core competencies. The company specializes in the coordination and management of production processes. A classic example of the use of such virtual forms can serve as brokerage networks with asymmetric dependence of partners. Decision-making flexibility (such as “make or buy”) and unilateral substitution of partners are typical;

6. Technology and practice of strategic innovation management global firms

6.5. Features of organizing and managing virtual enterprises

Virtual enterprises are one of the new organizational forms of enterprises. The development of new forms of organization and management of an enterprise was largely influenced by such development trends modern markets as the globalization of markets, the growing importance of product quality, its price and degree of consumer satisfaction, the increasing importance of sustainable relationships with consumers (individual customers), as well as the growing importance of the degree of application of new information and communication technologies.

As you know, in the 80s. the main directions for improving the activities of enterprises were total quality management and the use of minimalist strategies aimed at optimal control various resources. In the 90s. The main slogan was the principles of business process reengineering aimed at moving from functional units to business processes consisting of autonomous interdisciplinary teams focused on better customer satisfaction. By the end of the 90s. and the beginning of the 21st century, the key topic is the transition to virtual and networked principles of enterprise organization.

In some works, virtual enterprises are also referred to by other terms: “network enterprises”, “limitless enterprises”, “extended enterprises”. As a rule, we are talking about a network of partners (enterprises, organizations, individual teams and people) jointly engaged in the development, production and marketing of certain products.

It should be emphasized that the enterprise virtualization space includes three main categories of phenomena:
- virtual market - a market for goods and services that exists on the basis of communication and information capabilities of global networks (Internet);
- virtual reality, i.e. display and simulation of real developments and production in cyberspace, which is both a tool and a medium;
- virtual (network) organizational forms.

This subsection examines the features virtual organizational forms and approaches to the management of enterprises using this organizational form. Issues regarding the virtual market and virtual reality are practically not touched upon, although in the real activities of enterprises, these three categories can be interrelated.

There are many definitions of a virtual enterprise as a network organizational form. However, taking into account the specifics of the practical functioning of such structures, a virtual enterprise can be defined as a temporary cooperative network of enterprises (organizations, individual teams and people) that have key competencies for the best fulfillment of a market order, based on a single information system.

From a marketing point of view, the goal of a virtual enterprise is to make a profit by maximizing the satisfaction of the needs and requirements of consumers in goods (services) faster and better than potential competitors. Obviously, this goal is inherent in all market-oriented enterprises. But, firstly, virtual enterprises, as a rule, are focused not on meeting the needs and requirements of some “average” market segment, but on fulfilling certain market orders up to satisfaction of certain requests of specific consumers (customers). And, secondly, the virtual enterprise increases the speed and quality of order fulfillment by combining the resources of various partners into a single system.

From a practical point of view, a conventional (“monolithic”) enterprise, for example, requires significant resources to develop and bring a new product to the market. In contrast, a virtual enterprise is looking for new partners with resources, knowledge and abilities that meet market needs, to jointly organize and implement this activity. That is, enterprises (organizations, individual teams, people) are selected that have core competence in the form of resources and abilities to achieve a competitive advantage in the market.

As a rule, a partnership is concluded for a certain period or until a certain result is achieved (for example, an order is completed). In other words, partnership is temporary, and, for example, at certain stages life cycle products or when the market situation changes, new partners may be attracted to the network or old ones excluded.

Naturally, for the effective functioning of the entire network, partner enterprises should be based on an agreed business process. When, for example, in order to best meet market needs, many enterprises are combined into a network, most often geographically remote, then it is obvious that such enterprises find it difficult to coordinate their actions without a system of operational information and communications. Therefore, in order to solve information problems, the network must have single information system based on the widespread use of new information and communication technologies.

In view of the foregoing, one can single out the key advantage of virtual forms of organizations: the ability to select and use the best resources, knowledge and abilities with less time. From this dignity and the network organization itself, such basic competitive advantages virtual enterprises like:
- speed of execution of the market order;
- the possibility of reducing total costs;
- the ability to better meet the needs of the customer;
- the possibility of flexible adaptation to environmental changes;
- the ability to reduce barriers to entry into new markets.

A number of projects have been developed to provide information support to such entrepreneurship. The NIIIP project in the US developed open software protocols for industry that allowed manufacturers and their suppliers to communicate effectively. In Europe, a number of ESPRET projects have been developed to develop an appropriate architecture and supporting infrastructure for virtual entrepreneurship, including for small and medium-sized firms.

The paper investigates the collaborative design and manufacturing system for virtual organizations CDMS (Collaborative design and manufacturing system), describes the architecture of the agent for the implementation of such virtual organizations in CDMS, presents an example of joint planning of several enterprises.

A virtual organization in CDMS has the following characteristics:
- it is different from the "physical" organization;
- it is usually open and dynamic;
- it is rebuilt in configuration and scale;
- it is distributed geographically;
- it consists of heterogeneous components ( software, architecture, human resources, etc.);
- coordination mechanisms are required to ensure the stability of the system.

CDMS introduces blocks of mediators to combine various production activities and coordinate various types of intelligent agents.

The generic model of mediators includes seven levels of activity: entrepreneurship, product specification and design, virtual organization, planning and distribution. executive power, communication, learning. A hybrid system of agent architectures is shown in fig. 38. Here the system of production is organized as the highest level through a system of special mediators. Each subsystem is connected (integrated) through a special mediator.

The infrastructure of the system of cooperation agents is shown in fig. 39

Fig.39. Collaboration Agent System Infrastructure

The main characteristics of virtual organizations in the CDMS system are summarized as follows:
1. Agents are software components, networked, and, therefore, convenient for embedding in a virtual organization, but not physically connected.
2. Openness and dynamism are the primary features of an agent-based architecture.
3. The modularity and autonomy of agents makes such systems capable of reconfiguration and scaling.
4. An agent-based system may include agents distributed over all kinds of networks, including the Internet.
5. It is relatively easy to integrate heterogeneous components/systems using conventional communication languages ​​and protocols.
6. Coordination mechanisms are very useful for CDMS, in particular in the development and production of complex systems.

Virtual reality is a kind of world around us, artificially created with the help of technical means and presented in digital form. The created effects are projected onto the human mind and allow you to experience sensations that are as close to real as possible. The most common means of immersion in virtual reality are specialized helmets / goggles that are worn on a person's head. The principle of operation of such a helmet is quite simple. A 3D video is displayed on the display in front of your eyes. A gyroscope and an accelerometer attached to the body track head movements and transmit data to a computer system that changes the image on the display depending on the readings of the sensors.

As a result, the user has the opportunity to "look around" inside the virtual reality and feel in it, as in the real world. In order for the image to be high definition and always in focus, special plastic lenses are used.

Google, Facebook or Samsung are betting big on VR. Thus, this technology has every indication that it may soon revolutionize our lives. As a result of this, some areas of business may seriously change. For example, tourism virtual travel without getting up from the couch), education (viewing historical events instead of cramming the bare facts in a textbook or traveling inside the human body in anatomy lessons), the entertainment industry (movies with you in the lead role) and many others.

For a more realistic immersion in the world of virtual reality, in addition to sensors that track the position of the head, various tracking systems can be used in VR devices, such as:

Eye tracking systems. Designed to track the movement of the pupils of the eyes and allow you to determine where a person is looking at any given time. On this moment such systems are not widely used in the consumer services market and are used mainly for various medical and scientific research.

Motion tracking. Track any body movements of a person and repeat them in the virtual world. Tracking can be carried out using special sensors or a video camera aimed at a person.

3D controllers. In order to feel as comfortable as possible while in virtual reality, traditional 2D controllers (mice, joysticks, etc.) are being replaced by manipulators that allow you to work in three-dimensional space - 3D controllers.

Feedback devices. Such devices began to be developed back in the 90s and are designed so that the user can literally experience everything that happens in the virtual world. Vibrating joysticks, swivel chairs, etc. can be used as such devices.

The source of the 3D image for a virtual reality device has long been a computer or user console (for example, PlayStation VR). However, a couple of years ago, “budget” VR devices entered the market, in which a smartphone began to be used as a 3D image source. A more simplified design made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of virtual reality devices, since there was no need to equip glasses with the previously listed technical means, because:

• Modern smartphones are high-performance and capable of independently processing even the most "heavy" 3D content.
• Smartphone displays have a fairly high resolution.
• Almost every smartphone has sensors for determining the position of the device in space.

According to many experts, virtual reality technologies have not even come close to the peak of their development yet. However, areas of their potential application are already clearly emerging. In addition to video games, there are areas such as:

• Live broadcasts. One of the main directions of VR development. The most interesting events, both sports and cultural, can be "seen" with one's own eyes, being anywhere and without buying expensive tickets.
• Movie. VR devices are expected to revolutionize the film industry by allowing viewers to "watch movies from the inside" rather than from the outside.
• Sales. The effect of personal presence will allow people to save time when shopping, inspecting apartments, cars and other items for sale remotely.
• Education. Virtual reality technologies can make the learning process more interesting. For example, students can get the opportunity to "see firsthand" various events described in history books.
• Healthcare. In the medical field, VR devices can be used for virtual patient appointments, psychotherapy, etc.
• military industry. With the help of VR devices, soldiers will be able to learn martial art tactics in conditions that are as close to real as possible.

Estimates and news of the Virtual Reality market

In May 2018, LG Display announced technology that the company claims can eliminate dizziness and nausea when immersed in virtual reality (VR). The development was created with the participation of Sogyon University (Sogang University).

The technology in question, with the help of algorithms artificial intelligence converts low-resolution video to high-definition content in real-time. The delay time between the user's movements and what he sees in the virtual reality helmet is reduced by five times.

Delayed and blurry images often lead to dizziness and nausea. LG Display technology eliminates this problem and also reduces power consumption. High-quality and comfortable viewing of VR content is provided without the use of additional graphics processors and devices, since deep learning allows you to use only the internal memory of helmets.

One of the causes of nausea when immersed in virtual reality is the "deception" of the brain. The position and movement of a person in space is fixed by the vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear. It is this organ that transmits information to the brain about what is happening with the body at the moment. Together with the information received by other senses (in particular, the eyes), the brain determines what the rest of the body needs to do and feel.

In virtual reality, the indicators of the vestibular apparatus and the organs of vision differ, since a person sees movement, but the body remains at rest. The brain perceives visual information as a hallucination that can be experienced with poisoning, and therefore causes nausea to cleanse the body. This phenomenon is called kinetosis.

On April 9, 2018 the CCS Insight analytical company published results of a research which showed weak interest of business to "smart" points. In subsequent years, the situation may change.

According to experts, in 2017, companies around the world purchased only 24 thousand sets of augmented reality (AR) glasses.

The potential of this technology is clear, but until now most companies are testing a small number of devices to understand how they fit into their business, said CCS Insight analyst George Jijiashvili, quoted in a press release.

Experts predict that within a few years, organizations will move from testing smart glasses to full-fledged commercial implementation, and their sales in the corporate sector will reach 1 million units in 2022. The growing demand for such gadgets is pushing electronics manufacturers to explore this market. According to unofficial data, Apple is preparing an AR device.

Augmented reality has become “one of the hottest new technology areas for smartphones,” so interest in it is growing, says George Jijiashvili. Billions of dollars are being invested in this technology, he says, and in 2017-2018 there were significant improvements in the size, weight and design of smart glasses.

CCS Insight predicts that in 2018 global sales of virtual and augmented reality headsets will amount to 22 million units worth $1.8 billion. By 2022, sales of such equipment will jump five times and reach 121 million units.

Most often, such gadgets are bought for games. The study showed that 70% of users of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony PlayStation VR, etc. purchase games for these devices, and among owners of VR helmets for smartphones, more than 50% of people download free and paid games.

Technology recommendations for the VR industry were first presented as part of the VR Industry Forum (VRIF) in the United States. The document covered issues of production, content compression, storage and distribution of information, as well as user security.

In particular, the recommendations include a 360-degree description of the content, its features and benefits. The authors of the paper clarify the difference between the capabilities of human vision and the characteristics of VR products in the market. These differences can lead to unpleasant symptoms for users, which, according to the authors, developers of VR products should take into account.

“Content should be filmed or created in a way that reduces motion blur or movement to comfortable levels, as flickering images can lead to rapid fatigue or disorientation,” the document says. “To reduce discomfort, it is recommended to use images with a higher frame rate and prepare content taking into account the capabilities of the display.”

The authors of the recommendations considered audio and video formats when creating VR. For example, for full-size 360-degree video, they recommend creating stereoscopic images with a depth of 10 bits and a size of 4096 x 2048 for each eye.

It should be noted that the document is presented as a draft and contains notes that require further discussion by market participants. VRIF President Rob Koenen said that the principles developed serve two main purposes: firstly, to maintain interoperability in the virtual reality ecosystem, and secondly, to provide users with a top-level VR product.

The Venture Reality Fund: Investors love virtual reality

Investments in the entertainment sector VR and AR (virtual and augmented reality) increased in the second half of 2017 to $ 2.3 billion, calculated in The Venture Reality Fund. This is 79% more than in the same period last year, the fund specifies and predicts that the trend for investments in the industry will only intensify.

In total, as part of the study, the fund analyzed 450 companies currently developing software, tools, as well as platforms and applications for VR and AR. Investments in enterprises showed the most growth - the fund estimated that at 69%. Investments in tools and platforms increased by 56%, and investments in stereo display infrastructure increased by 47%. The volume of the market for games based on virtual reality has grown by 40%.

There is a shift in the market from common 360-degree videos to true virtual reality. Experts believe that the release of standalone helmets Oculus Go and HTC Vive Focus will have a positive impact on the development of VR and AR in 2018. Also, the development of the sector is influenced by the interest of Hollywood companies Disney, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures, HBO, Viacom and AMC.

Apple Corporation has contributed to this segment by acquiring augmented reality headset developer Vrvana. According to TechCrunch, the deal amounted to $ 30 million. Apple plans to release its own augmented reality headset, while the technology for the new gadget will not depend on the smartphone - the headset will have its own operating system running on a separate microchip.

In addition to the entertainment segment, VR and AR are used in business; in particular, developers offer their clients virtual tours of apartments.

According to the venture capital Venture Reality Fund operating in Silicon Valley and the company Lucid Web, the number of firms operating in the European market in the field of virtual reality has almost reached 300 .

The VR Fund data, in particular, was obtained as a result of research during meetings and conference calls with regional representatives companies throughout Europe.

VR Fund specialists studied about 300 startups and selected 116 of them for the first part of the report. Research has shown that games are the most competitive industry, including well-funded companies such as nDreams (UK), Resolution Games (Sweden), Solfar Studios and CCP Games (Iceland). It also invests in computer reality management technologies, virtual projects for the real estate market, as well as helmets for immersing in the virtual world. Medical centers and fitness companies, in turn, use the possibilities of virtual systems for training, psychological treatment and rehabilitation of patients.

Assessment and forecast of the Institute of Contemporary Media

The project was implemented by the participants of the VR Consortium: CROC and the Modern Media Institute (MOMRI) together with the Vesti Ekonomika portal from March to May 2017. During the study, 247 managers and specialists of various profiles were interviewed, representing more than 200 largest Russian companies from all key sectors of the economy.

The main result of the study is the level of awareness of representatives of the largest Russian companies and industries about the possibilities of using virtual reality technologies in business is high, both in the real sector and in the service sector. Almost two-thirds - 65% of respondents are aware of the possibility of using VR and AR technologies in enterprises. The greatest awareness of real cases of integrating VR into technological and business processes was demonstrated by representatives of such industries as metallurgy, engineering, construction, energy, transport companies, and financial sector and IT/Telecom. As examples of the real use of virtual and augmented reality technologies, the participants of the study named solutions for industrial, construction and engineering design, residential real estate sales, virtual reviews of production facilities, the use of VR in employee training (simulators and simulators).

Almost a quarter 24% representatives Russian business they said that in their companies have already implemented or are planning to implement virtual reality technology(15% of those who took part in the survey reported that such technologies are already being implemented or implemented in their companies, and 9% of those surveyed said that such implementation is planned in the foreseeable future). 41% of respondents answered that although virtual reality technologies are not being implemented in their business, they are familiar with examples of such implementation in other companies. 35% of respondents have not heard about the use of VR in business. Most of the enterprises already working with VR and AR technologies represent the real sector of the economy (engineering, mining and processing, energy). The main areas of technology implementation included staff training, design and marketing. This means that in the very near future the share of VR projects in the corporate segment will increase on the Russian market and the demand for VR devices and professional visualization systems will increase.

Representatives of companies that do not yet work with VR technologies are moderately optimistic: 70% of them consider the use of virtual reality within their organization and industry possible and promising, and almost two-thirds (65%) concrete examples application of this technology in other companies. At the same time, executives are more likely to talk about the potential for VR implementation, while specialists express skepticism, not understanding exactly how the technology can be applied in their professional activity. Among those who plan to develop VR technologies within their companies, in addition to the manufacturing sector, one can single out telecom, retail, financial institutions. The potential areas named by the respondents are wide - from design and training to marketing tasks, sales, communication with customers. Interest is also attracted by augmented reality, which has enough high potential growth in the business segment and the b2b2c (business-to-business-to-consumer) sector due to more short term AR content development and mobile device penetration.

The study also revealed objective factors hindering the introduction and widespread use of virtual reality technologies in the corporate sector. According to the respondents, the main obstacle is the high cost of solutions and technologies, and at the same time the lack of a clear correlation with economic efficiency. In addition to high costs, respondents also mentioned technical limitations and the high complexity of implementing VR technologies. This indicates that there is not enough available on the market. qualified specialists capable of implementing and maintaining professional VR systems.

IDC: The market will grow by 130.5% to 13.9 billion dollars

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices continue to gain momentum in the mass market. According to the forecast of June 2017 by IDC, global shipments of specialized AR and VR helmets will grow from almost 10 million units. in 2016 to just under 100 million. in 2021, demonstrating a five-year compound annual growth rate (in compound interest, CAGR) of 57.7%.

Virtual reality devices account for the bulk of shipments, and the most popular in this category are VR devices without their own display (screenless viewers), using smartphone capabilities as the cheapest option. The second half of 2016 saw an increase in shipments of three highly publicized models - Sony's PlayStation VR, Facebook's HTC Vive and Facebook's Oculus Rift.

As for specialized devices, augmented reality helmets continue to lag somewhat behind virtual reality devices. The reason is not that AR is less in demand, but that it is more difficult to achieve. IDC believes that VR headsets will continue to lead in terms of shipments over the forecast period, but AR will have a much larger impact on the industry as a whole. Consumers are likely to get their first glimpse of augmented reality on a mobile phone or tablet rather than in a specialized helmet, and the recently offered by Apple the ARKit toolkit only confirms this.

IDC believes that a big opportunity for specialized AR helmets is in the commercial segment. If we talk about the vertical markets of healthcare, production, personnel Maintenance in the field and design, there is a huge level of interest and investment already being made. This is facilitated by a wide range of products, some of which are already available for purchase, but most of which are manufactured outside the United States.

Global augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) market revenue will reach $13.9 billion, up 130.5% from $6.1 billion in 2016, according to IDC in early 2017. AR/VR spending growth is expected to accelerate over the next few years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 198.0% over the 2015-2020 forecast period. As a result, by 2020 the amount of expenses will reach 143.3 billion dollars.

The consumer market will be the largest segment of augmented/virtual reality during the forecast period, and global spending on hardware, software and services will reach $6.2 billion in 2017, up 130.5% year-over-year, IDC believes. The second largest spender will be the industrial sector, where virtual and augmented reality applications are gradually finding their way into everyday use. Discrete manufacturing and retail are expected to be the only two segments where spending on AR/VR solutions this year will exceed $1.0 billion. By 2020, retail, demonstrating a five-year growth rate (CAGR) of 238.7% , will overtake the discrete manufacturing segment, becoming the largest in terms of spending on AR / VR. Similarly, continuous manufacturing will come in at number three in 2020, ahead of personal and consumer services. The highest growth rates after retail during the forecast period will be demonstrated by transportation(CAGR 233.7%) and suppliers medical services(CAGR 231.8%).

Expenses for virtual reality systems, including glasses, software, consulting services and services system integration, in 2017 and 2018 will exceed spending on AR, mainly due to consumer interest in games and paid content. After 2018, spending on augmented reality systems will surge, especially in healthcare, product design, and control-related applications.

Geographically, the US will account for $4.3 billion of all AR/VR spending in 2017; followed by the Asia-Pacific region without Japan (APeJ) ($2.6 billion) and Western Europe (nearly $2.5 billion). The consumer market will be the largest AR/VR spending segment in all three regions in 2017; followed by personal and consumer services in APeJ and discrete manufacturing in the US and Western Europe. By 2020, discrete manufacturing will be the largest spending segment in the US, and retail will be the second largest in APeJ.

CCS Insight: VR headset sales could quintuple by 2021

Sales of virtual reality devices for smartphones continue to account for the lion's share of sales in the VR market segment. Agency CCS Insight in its study predicts that 14 million VR headsets will be sold in 2017, and up to 25 million in 2018. Moreover, analysts expect a five-fold increase in sales by 2021, to 70 million headsets. The volume of this segment of the VR market will be $500 million in 2017 and will grow to $1.4 billion by 2021.

The total market for VR-compatible devices is estimated at $1.5 billion in 2017 and $9.1 billion by 2021. According to analysts, by 2019 special devices will begin to generate significant income for companies that offer commercial products in this area.

The AR device market will grow relatively slowly. Significant growth is not expected until 2019, with sales of 1.5 million units. By 2021, up to 5 million units with a total value of $2.5 billion will be sold. Despite the potential of the technology, it has not yet received mass distribution - in 2016, only 100 thousand units of devices were sold. Significant growth in sales of AR headsets is not expected until the early 2020s.

Data from PwC, Digi-Capital, Goldman Sachs

The range of applications of virtual reality is wide: it is used for entertainment (movies and video games), in the field of medicine (surgical operations and examinations), in engineering and manufacturing. Virtual reality not only simplifies activities, but also opens up new opportunities that were previously inaccessible. The most famous VR devices released to the market this year are: Oculus Rift from Oculus VR(bought by Facebook in 2014), HTC VR from htc, Steam VR And Playstation VR from Sony. Despite the abundance of products, the path of virtual reality technology is just beginning, and we will see real achievements in this area in the future.

Consulting and research companies predict the rapid growth of the VR and AR market in the next 5 years. In particular, in the company's report PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) "Entertainment and Media Review: Forecast 2015-2019." it is said that a breakthrough in virtual reality is expected in 2016, which will attract more users in 2017 and 2018. In 2016, the first luxury sets of VR helmets from Oculus, Sony and HTC for immersive virtual reality will be released, after which other manufacturers will introduce similar equipment.

Company analysts Digital Capital It is predicted that in 2020 the volume of the global market for the production of VR content in various directions will exceed $30 billion. At the same time, more than half of this amount will be spent on films, TV programs and games in the virtual reality format.

According to Goldman Sachs And Venture Beat, in 2016, about 250 startups and technology companies in the field of virtual reality were launched in the world and more than 18 million VR devices were sold.

Association of Augmented and Virtual Reality AVRA (Russia)

The number of actively developing companies in the country has tripled: from 60 to 183. In terms of location and activity, 105 companies are located in Moscow, 25 in St. Petersburg, and the rest are located in cities throughout the country.

The AR/VR market is experiencing a clear rise not only in terms of the number of companies, but also in terms of the level of projects being implemented compared to the beginning of 2016. This is facilitated by the interest from investors, both venture funds and business angels, who collectively invested more than 700 million rubles in AR / VR companies in 2016. For comparison, in 2015 the total investment amounted to about 200 million rubles. Deal sizes vary greatly from a $15,000 seed investment to $2.5 million from the Sistema VC Venture Fund in the MEL Science educational project.

As a result of the analysis, the Association presented the Map Russian market augmented and virtual reality and told how this market is currently developing in Russia.

Market of augmented and virtual reality in Russia

The new opportunities we talked about above have radically changed the configuration of markets. The digital economy assumes the existence of two types of markets - real and virtual. Driven by the Internet and digital technologies, banks, insurance companies, travel agencies and almost every other type of business activity have added to their presence in real markets a presence in virtual markets.

Markets (continued) mass 11, 18 stock 147 Virtual market 9, 15, 23-24, 28-29, 71, 100, 141 study 9 research 22 update 156, 161 personalized 67 intelligence 120-121 real 23-24, 28- 29, 71, 141 segmentation 32

The real-time scale means that you receive information about transactions from opposite sides - supply and demand - instantly, within a few seconds after they are concluded or announced. You are watching the markets virtually at the same time as those who form them. In contrast, data at the end of the day reflects the total for the day (open, close, high and low prices). Much of the analysis carried out by investors can be successfully done on the basis of this data.

Thus, in just a few years, a completely new market has formed - the domain name market or the virtual real estate market.

The last decades of the XX century. were characterized by a move away from centrally coordinated, layered hierarchies in organizations and towards a variety of more flexible structures based on horizontal ties. The transfer of market relations to intra-company communications (domestic markets) brought to life new type structures - network and virtual organizations.

Describe the reasons for the emergence and the organizational mechanism for the functioning of organizations with internal markets, network and virtual companies.

Virtual commerce via the Internet with the help of the latest technologies means for the company, above all, improving the competitive position. In any case, in this market you can feel, without exaggeration, on an equal footing with the world's largest corporations, since you have a real opportunity to create an electronic store, at least not worse than others. The essential point in this case is the fact that the territory of the entire globe will fall into the scope of your activity. These trends determine the high significance of this market.

The ways of developing and implementing a marketing strategy when introducing products and technologies to the newest and most rapidly developing market - the worldwide computer network Internet are considered. The possibilities of presenting information about business, products or technologies to millions of prospective buyers by entrepreneurs are shown, as well as the use of electronic resources to obtain the necessary data about consumers and competitors, identify and contact specific groups of potential consumers of products or technologies, open virtual electronic stores around the world and compete on an equal footing even with big companies. The methods of conducting marketing research on the Internet are considered. Information about the development of the Russian-speaking part of the Internet is given and some recommendations are given on its use to penetrate the Russian and foreign markets. At the end of the chapter is a glossary of commonly used English terms related to computer technology and the Internet.

It is believed that the 90s is the era of limitless virtual corporations, consisting of a network independent companies and connected with advanced information technology. There is an exchange of skills and efforts, as well as gaining access to technologies and partner markets. Such partnerships were meant to be temporary and sensitive to rapid changes in the world market. The communication superhighway should allow remote branches of various companies to quickly find suppliers, developers, and manufacturers through the information exchange. Once connected, these virtual corporations will sign "e-contracts" to speed up communication without the hassle of legal issues. The key factor for this was the development of advanced technology. Years of "lessons learned" have shown even the most ardent technologists that there are a number of important organizational difficulties in establishing and maintaining such "technological" cooperation. Advanced technology has not made organizations, communities, and strategic regions more interconnected. It is an important tool that can make this task easier. The real change must take place in the area of ​​behavior and management.

Where there is real money, there are real emotions. Of course, you can worry about virtual reality, but this in no way compares with real work. While trading, you experience the most diverse range of emotions - fear, greed, pride, joy, excitement, anticipation of the jackpot ... The list is endless. With "virtual" money, you can learn to fight the market - you will look like a boxer who works with a punching bag, but has never seen a live opponent whose fists are the size of an Astrakhan watermelon. So on a training account you will never learn how to cope with yourself. And the ability to control your emotions and manage them is no less important skill than knowing the properties of an indicator.

According to classical views, the main function of the secondary stock market is the redistribution of investment flows to the most promising and dynamically developing sectors of the economy. However, at present, on the scale of all national secondary markets for shares, only an insignificant part of the money goes from the secondary market to the primary, and from there to real production. If this were not so, and a sufficiently large amount of money would go from the secondary market to the primary market, then the volume of TFR would fall. Along with it, stock quotes would also fall. But that doesn't happen. The inflow of money into the market significantly exceeds the outflow (the most typical example is the growth of the US stock market in the 1990s). The lion's share of players' funds settles on the market, forming stationary capital (TFR). The secondary market is thus reborn, separated from the real economy. It turns into a theater of speculative games. The trend of turning the secondary market into a kind of virtual world began a long time ago. Consider, for example, France in the 1930s. XIX century - the speculative empire of Louis Philippe, the prosperity of the rentier class and stock market players. In addition, a powerful layer of professional market participants (trade organizers, brokers, dealers, managers, depositories, etc.) is forming, which lives at the expense of players, lives at the expense of the market. The people working in these organizations do not produce any material wealth. They just provide a certain kind of service to the subjects of trade. In fact, they are dependent on society. Thus, the modern secondary market for shares is for the most part not a tool for redistributing investment flows, but simply a place where large players do their business.

State regulators and competition authorities should regularly monitor competitive energy markets. The experience of foreign countries shows that often the results of competition between energy companies are their mergers and acquisitions in various forms of horizontal and vertical integration. The threat of new energy producers entering the market alone can provoke a merger of private energy companies. Large multifunctional companies are also being created, whose activities include electricity, heat and gas supply, water supply, communications, and even retail trade in various consumer goods. Ultimately, this may lead to the establishment of "virtual monopolies" with corresponding monopoly prices, which means that the very idea of ​​a liberalized market will be discredited to energy consumers, who are most interested in effective competition among energy producers.

In a virtual marketplace, a company must make a large initial investment to create an offer and build networks, but the variable costs will be relatively small going forward. Some goods and services (e.g. information, music software) can be digitally reproduced and delivered electronically at virtually zero cost.

Work in both real and virtual markets

More and more companies are gradually moving their activities from real markets with a physical value chain to virtual ones, and they should definitely think seriously about the scope of their business.

Companies are also recognizing the power of direct marketing in communicating their messages by telephone, mail, and the Internet. They use PR tools - newsletters, press releases, events and sponsorships - to generate attention and spread word of mouth in real and virtual markets, and use databases, data analysis, automatic Internet connection and email to build their own relationships with target audiences. consumers.

Virtual (shell) firms Organizations in which part of the business functions, primarily production, are transferred on a contract basis to third-party contractors. The shell company, for a fee, takes on the relationship of the manufacturer of products with the market (surrounds the shell) and ensures its adaptation to the market, promotion of the product on the market, market research, search for a buyer, negotiation, conclusion of all necessary contracts, etc., thereby reducing the transaction costs of the manufacturer

All of the above circumstances can be significantly expanded. They clearly demonstrate the limitations of the old accounting system for full functioning in the system. modern management economy based on private property, competition and consumer domination. New system virtual or analytical accounting allows you to fill in the gaps of the old system and adapt it to modern market conditions.

A VIRTUAL ENTERPRISE is a network of legally independent but economically dependent enterprises that, on the basis of common goals, introduce certain services to the market.

The virtualization space includes four categories of phenomena - the virtual marketplace, virtual reality, and intra- and inter-organizational networking. The latter are covered by one concept - virtual infrastructures.

Firms that have mastered the Internet earlier than others have not only shown themselves to be fast learners. They are also leading the way in redefining the boundaries of their business. Atagop.com, which started to sell books on the Internet, has started selling CDs as well, and sees no reason why it shouldn't sell other products as well. Your company's initial motivation to go online may be the desire to cut costs and attract new customers - but once you connect with customers online, it opens up incredible opportunities for you to offer a wider range of products. For example, Bayoo and other Internet portals have already opened their own online travel agencies. Starting an online business is not like opening a new branch of a bank that you can train to provide a limited set of services. The virtual nature of the Internet allows you to open trade with anything, it would only be the desire of your buyers. Increasingly, we will see cases like Atagop, where a company that has established a strong position in an area of ​​online services expands its product range into new areas. This trend is a dire warning to organizations in any industry - even if your market sector has not yet emerged specialized Internet companies, it can be invaded by powerful online firms from other areas, seeking to fill all the free commercial niches.

Small firms must clearly understand from the fact that they can produce a good product, nothing will change on the market. The level of technology development in the world is so high that there has long been a practice of virtual companies that do only development, for the actual production, it was impossible to find proper customers f eii / it is much easier to produce anything than to sell anything. In support of this, I would like to cite some facts from a recent conversation with a well-known English venture capitalist of American origin, Harry Fitigibbons, who, by the way, organized a venture fund in