MIDTERM QUESTION # 1

1. Research 1 company that makes use of E-commerce. Describe the nature of this company in 1-2 paragraphs.

The Western Union Company, together with its affiliates Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, has become an industry leader in global money transfer with over 345,000 Agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. From the roots of their signature telegram business, they expanded and evolved their services in 1871 to offer electronic money transfer. Today, Western Union offers money order, money transfer, payment and prepaid services. While the telegram is a memory, they continue a long history of connecting people around the corner and around the globe with financial services that are fast, reliable and convenient.

2. Identify then, how does this company use e-commerce to achieve strategic advantage.

The Consumer-to-Consumer service allows people to send and receive money worldwide, primarily through a global network of third-party Agents who use their multi-currency money transfer processing systems.
Online Money Transfer Service are the transactional Web site allows consumers to send funds online using a credit or debit card. Additionally, consumers can conveniently check the status of their transfer online.

3. Describe the benefits derived from this strategy.

Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. It all comes down to the relationships that they established over many years. They take pride in being close to their consumers. Together with their Agents, they speak the consumers' languages and live in their consumers' neighborhoods. And they share their consumers' cultures. They are a significant part of each other’s lives.
The Western Union Company provides consumers fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. They operate through a network of more than 345,000 Agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories.It becomes more easier in the part of the employees to send their money using the e-commerce, it provide the customer the most easy way and fastest way of receiving money.