经济贸易篇Item 1

Many of the small dot-com start-up business that heralded the beginning of the new U.S. “Internet Economy” have failed. But, a real online economy appears to be developing, as increasing numbers of traditional businesses figure out how to utilize the Internet to stay competitive. The Enron Corporation conducts two-thirds of its global business online, accounting for $2.5 billion in revenue daily. The U.S. office supplies retail chain, Staples, can only stock 8000 items in its stores, but is presently offering more than 200,000 items on its website. Southwest Airlines saved $80 million in 2000 by selling airplane tickets online.