【单选题】

WHO WILLBE、B2B、NO.l OracleCorp., a leader in the computer database market, is muscling into the area of business-to-business e-commerceB2B、company, which is selling ways for companies to make or save money by using the Internet). The company is banking that the next best thing on the Web will be virtual marketplaces—open markets on the Web where companies can trade goods at lower prices and share information.It could be a good bet.By 2002, around 70 percent of buyers and sellers will sell their widgets using Internet-based marketplaces, and the still-nascent market should be worth $2.7 trillion by 2004.Moneyed MarketsThe move intoB2B、doesn’’t appear to signal problems with Oracle’’s existing businesses. The firm reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of 17 cents a share on Tuesday, beating by a wide margin the expectations of Wall Street analysis who anticipated 13 cents a share earnings for the quarter.(0) On March 8, for instance, the company announced plans to join with petrochemical companyChevron and a division of Wal-Mart Stores to create an online marketplace for the fragmented convenience store industry, which is made up of a few large players and many thousands of mom and pop stores. (8). The first, withCommerce One, a competing e-commerce company, will be an auto-parts exchange for General Motors, Ford andDaimlerChrysler. The second deal, with Sears and French retailerCarrefour, will focus on the $80 billion in supply chain purchases that Sears andCarrefour make from their 50, 000 suppliers.From Plane toChalnsawsMore marketplaces are on the drawing board, according to an Oracle spokesman. (9)Each exchange will be an online electronic trading community where buyers and suppliers can do business and exchange information. They will also help companies to manage their inventories more efficiently, believes Lou Unkeless, Oracle’’s marketing director. "So if there is a major snow storm in the Northeast users can anticipate demand for more snow shovels and make sure they are in the stores a day or two in advance, " he explaine

D、That’’s a lot of business for Oracle, which plans to take a cut on every transaction that passes through those marketplaces. The company hasn’’t yet decided how it will charge businesses for using its exchange. (10).Online Opponents(11)Oracle is in a good position when it comes to providing end-to-end solutions.But when it comes to building marketplaces the company is playing catch-up. Other online competition could eat into those profits. "Nimbler Web companies are already on track to dominate the space, " says Roskill, aB2B、e-commerce researcher.(12). "Can a little dot-com start-up provide service and privacy like this " asks Unkeless.But anAriba (a dot-com company) spokesperson retorted: "We have a $30 billion valuation and we’’re 100 percent focused on business-to-business." But it’’s still early days when it comes to business-to-business on the Web, says Roskill, who added, "We’’re still in the first inning of the first game of the World Series."[A].But before the money starts rolling in there are some hurdles to cross.[B].As many as 10 will be up and running by May, serving major marketplaces like aerospace and forestry.[C]. Not surprisingly, Oracle doubts the strength of the competition.[D]. Meanwhile, Oracle is signing deals aplenty in hopes of breaking into the lucrative e-commerce business.[E].By using the Internet,B2Bs could help some other companies reduce their corporate expenses by 19% in the next 10 years.[F]. "It depends on the value and size of each transaction, " says Unkeless.[G]. The company unveiled two similar deals in late February.EXAMPLE、The correct answer for blank (0) is [D].