Answer to Question 1
The major stages of computer technology are the following Mainframe Computers (1950-1975); Minicomputers (1970-1980); Personal Computers (1980-present): Local Area Networks and Client/Server Computing (1980-present); Enterprise-wide Computing (1990-present); and the Internet and Web/Mobile Platform/Cloud Computing era (1995-present). The Internet, while representing a sharp break from prior corporate computing and communications technologies, is nevertheless just the latest development in the evolution of corporate computing and part of the continuing chain of computer-based innovations in business.
Answer to Question 2
Computer scientists, operations management scientists, and certain technical groups within the information systems discipline all take a technical approach to e-commerce. Computer scientists are interested in e-commerce as an exemplary application of Internet technology. They are concerned with the development of computer hardware, software, and telecommunications systems, as well as standards, encryption, and database design and operation. Operations management scientists are primarily interested in building mathematical models of business processes and optimizing these processes. They are interested in e-commerce as an opportunity to study how business firms can exploit the Internet to achieve more efficient business operations. Technical groups within the information systems specialty focus on data mining, search engine design, and artificial intelligence.