Ubiquitous and pervasive computing will be the emerging computing paradigm for the next few decades. What differentiates it from previous technologies is the fact that computation and wireless communications capability is embedded into objects, locations and even people. Like every new technology before it, ubiquitous and pervasive computing has considerable implications for conducting business. Products, locations, consumers and employees can create rich streams of information about themselves, their immediate environment and their use. This information is fed into the business process to provide unique insights on the current and future situation of the business.

This book brings together the technological and business aspects of conducting commerce using ubiquitous and pervasive computing techniques, and also examines its implications for society at large. Individual chapters review the core technologies that make ubiquitous computing possible, the business standards that must be established to support the envisioned global infrastructures, and the applications that can be built today. They also examine business cases where investment in this technology is appropriate, as well as the economics mechanisms that must be designed for the effective use of such systems. Last but not least, the implications of ubiquitous and pervasive commerce for the legal system, employees and retailers, and the protection of the privacy of the general public are discussed.

Zusammenfassung
At the core of this book is the interplay between technological and business innovation and social practice. Although the bene?ts of 50 years of rapid advances in digital telecommunications and computing technology have not bene?ted everyone equally, they have nevertheless transformed almost every aspectofthewaywelive.Oneareawheretechnologyhashada clearimpactis in the way we conduct business. The rate of change that brings about mod- nity has been considerably strengthened by technological advances applied to product manufacturing, distribution, ?nancing, and management, which arguably form the substrate for globalization and consumerism. It is thus no surprise that businesses closely monitor advances in techn- ogy and invest considerable resources in exploring possible new applications and market opportunities. Yet, consumers' acceptance of new ways of buying and selling depends as much on business and technology as on our society's culture and the culture of the material environment that de?nes our values, sensibilities, and thus our commitments. Moreover, the rate of technological innovation is such that to the c- sumer, technology implementation is fully opaque.Nonetheless, opportunities to carry out commerce in novel ways also introduce risk to established - cial structures, conventions, and institutions. In modernity, risk management is one of the core functions of society and to be successful in this, societies depend on their trust of experts. Experts take risks on behalf of society and are responsible for evaluating the full extent of a particular set of hazards including those associated with a particular technology.

Inhalt
Ubiquitous Computing for Electronic Business.- Supply Chain Management Standards in Ubiquitous Commerce.- Optimizing Business Processes by Automatic Data Acquisition: RFID Technology and Beyond.- RFID in Movable Asset Management.- Ubiquitous Services: Extending Customer Relationship Management.- The Business Value of Ubiquitous Computing Technologies.- Ubiquitous Computing, Customer Tracking, and Price Discrimination.- The Design of Pervasive Retail Experiences.- Legal Challenges to Ubiquitous Commerce.- Thoughts on Retail System Design to Support Polimorphic Actions Among Clerks: That'll Be $20 But if You Buy Two, I'll Knock off 10%.- Privacy Protection and RFID.