The Internet, years after its emergence, continues to be a challenge for most organizations. It cannot be ignored; it has indelibly altered the customer communication landscape by adding dimensions such as Web self-service, email communication, and live Web collaboration. And, organizations are still looking for the perfect way to harness its power. What they need is a strategy to fuse the Internet with all existing marketing, sales, and customer service channels—seamlessly and cost-effectively. eService is one such strategy, and it can transform any business.

This paper examines the notion of eService and the need for it in large, global organizations in particular. It also provides guidelines for developing an effective eService plan, and concludes with a discussion of the most significant benefits of implementing such a plan.