The service sector is the largest and most rapidly expanding part of the economy of advanced industrial nations. Service industries are companies that provide services (i.e., perform tasks for) consumers, businesses, governments, and other organizations. The major service industry groups are FIRE, business services, and health services. Within these service industry groups, companies can be further categorized into those that involve transaction brokering and those that involve providing a “hands-on” service. With some exceptions, the service sector is by and large a knowledge- and information-intense industry. For this reason, many services are uniquely suited to e-commerce and the strengths of the Internet. The rapid expansion of e-commerce services in the areas of finance, including insurance and real estate, travel, and job placement, can be explained by the ability of these firms