Electronic commerce is broadly defined as the buying and selling of goods using electronic transaction processing technologies. More narrowly, electronic commerce involves transaction processing technologies that require little or no intervention on the part of the buyer or seller. It includes both business-to-business transactions and business-to-consumer transactions.

Some of the most significant applications of electronic commerce to date have involved personal travel/transportation industries. For example, electronic commerce is playing a significant role in the sale of airline tickets, automobiles, and hotel rooms.

Research at the TIDE Center is considering ways in which mobile computers can and should be used for electronic commerce.