Stats reflect positive trend in e-commerce. (Special Report: Sudbury).

E-commerce, or purchasing products or services and paying for it online through the Internet, is just one of the technologies e-sudbury.com is currently marketing. But there is a whole lot more the organization is pushing than just that.

"E-commerce is one of the technologies we are pushing, but the other thing, and maybe more importantly, is ensuring that businesses, either new or existing, are integrating technology into their businesses," says economic development technician and manager of e-sudbury.com, Jody Cameron. "It is more than just selling a product online using e-commerce; it is about integrating technology into their businesses."

E-Sudbury.com is an organization that works to pursue the benefits that technology has to offer all sectors, by promoting economic and social development and encouraging all citizens to embrace technology. The organization believes there are a multitude of things business people can do to integrate technology into their businesses. For example, Cameron suggests that business people can start using the Internet as a way to market their business, or they can start constructing a basic Web page as a form of marketing. He also suggests that businesses can start taking advantage of e-mail by using it as a cheap, efficient way of communicating with supply sources and tapping into new markets.

Getting other businesses to integrate such technologies was the idea behind the organization's recent decision to hold consultations with a number of different businesses. Cameron explains that previous to these consultations, the city wanted to establish an e-commerce specialist and provide a targeted number of consultations monthly with local businesses. Since the organization started with the consultations, they have had a lot of success, Cameron indicates.

"Our numbers are quite positive," he says. "We are seeing an average of approximately 10 businesses per month that have been consulted, and there have been some positive results with that."

However, some of the businesses they consulted with only wanted to concentrate on pursuing e-commerce. For those businesses, Cameron points out that the organization simply acted as the middle man by putting the businesses in touch with vendors in the community that could assist them by implementing e-business into their businesses.

E-sudbury.com is also looking at enhancing the sudburytourism.ca Web site through Connect-Ontario funding, which is a Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation fund. They are also looking at assisting the non-profit sector through the Community Resource Network, which is a program offered by the Social Planning Council. Part of that plan is to enhance the Community Resource Network Web site crnet.ca - by offering more collaborative-type online tools for nun-profit agencies and to enhance volunteer Web sites.

"You can apply for volunteer opportunities online, but also the reverse; if you are an organization, you can put the various opportunities you have available for volunteerism on the site," Cameron says. "So, it is going to be kind of like a one-stop shop for all volunteer opportunities and a non-profit-type portal offering collaborative tools for the non-profit agencies in the City of Greater Sudbury."

Ultimately, Cameron indicates that the three main themes are sill the same for the organization. Those themes include the e-business service centre with the consultations, technology business development, and launching various networking opportunities. He also says that one of the things the organization is now concentrating on is the whole "smart community" idea and building a business plan for the community to tap into some Connect-Ontario funding.

"That goal is to build a business plan that is going to foster growth in the information/communication sector and the technology centre locally."

The organization is also looking at creating a community portal, explains Cameron.

"We are looking at building a community portal, which is a glass window to the whole community, as far as the services provided by the government, education, health-care and tourism sectors and the culture and community agencies, but again, it is a glass window; we are not recreating any of these sites, we are just going to be ensuring that if you come to this site, you will have access to all the local information that is online."