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While supply chain integration is measured at three levels: information, resources and organization, the emphasis of the paper is placed on how information integration can be achieved through B2B e‐hubs. After reviewing the concept of supply chain integration and the evolution of e‐hubs, we examine two groups of e‐hubs classified by supply chain processes, namely procurement and transportation, along with two case studies of each. A value‐gap analysis is performed from the perspectives of facilitating supply chain activities and connecting chain partners, revealing that gaps and limitations do exist in existing e‐hubs. Finally, we present a framework for integrating existing e‐hubs into other advanced information technologies, such as ERP and CRM, to bridge the gaps and to expand their functionality to provide better solutions to supply chain integration.

The information and communications technology (ICT) led revolution in the last two decades has transformed a large number of traditional businesses. The impact has been more significant in industries dominated by information goods such as music, software, and newspapers. Higher education sector is information-centric and its digitization is inevitable. The new generation of the Internet-based educational business models have emerged and they have already started evolving to make electronic learning (eLeraning) as effective and efficient as electronic commerce (eCommerce) has become in retailing. Drawing on information goods theory in economics, online retailers and marketplaces literature in information systems, and contemporary research on eLearning, this paper classifies and analyses the emerging educational business models into online education marketplaces (OEM), online education providers (OEP), and online education services (OES) and also provides a roadmap for the transformation of traditional universities.

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