E-Marketplace Emergence: Evolution, Developments and Classification

The present paper provides a comprehensive multi-dimensional classification of Electronic Marketplaces (EM). The paper opens the discussion by investigating the early utilizations of the concept of EM and makes some original references to the early uses of the technology in marketplaces. After an in-depth analysis of the concept of EM, the developments and application of the EM as an intra- and inter-organizational electronic platform is explicitly described. Finally, a comprehensive classification of EMs is presented followed by a discussion of future trends in study and utilization of EMs.