Industry Analysis:  On-Line Higher Education Industry

Today's industries of Higher Education are witnessing a burgeoning interest in the use of the Internet.   The rise of the Internet, by information technologies and business application, represents a large base of potential customers for e-commerce activities. Generally, it can be said that e-commerce is a highly significant way of conducting business.  For that very reason, a widespread of universities and colleges actively exploit opportunities created by the growth of e-commerce by initiating on line courses and degrees to accommodate this demand. This industry analysis will capture the principal effects that e-commerce, i.e. on line courses, may have, as compared to those of conventional Higher Education Industries, as well as explore the barriers and opportunities that may face each. These issues are examined using market research, newspaper articles, and annual industry reports.
Higher Education Firms are undertaking growing numbers of e-commerce initiatives and increasingly offering on-line incentives required to participate in the growing online market.   A range of on-line incentives includes expedited degrees, decreased tuition fees and minimal face-to-face time with instructors.   However, to realize these gains of on-line courses and the associated incentives requires fundamental Internet knowledge and a high degree of competency with on-line universities in offering adequate resources.   Higher Education institutions are producers of information concentrated products, and may face a raft of challenges when instilling these new competencies. 
The Gartner Group estimates that firms creating e-commerce sites spend $1 million in the ...