The existence of the internet is already leading to profound changes in existing market structures, which will intensify in the future. This book offers a systematic examination of the fundamental factors that determine the success and long-term development of electronic markets. It goes beyond the current state of application of electronic networks and demonstrates how the reduction of technological, economic, and behavioral restrictions influences new opportunities for interactive customer acquisition and retention, as well as virtual shopping in the form of teleshopping, telebooking, and more. In this second edition, important developments, such as those in the area of security technologies and the use or diffusion of online marketing, have been taken into account.