"Recent years have seen the rise of network organizations � groups of "unbundled" companies collaborating across the value chain to deliver products and services to customers. By owning fewer assets and leveraging the resources of partner companies, network "orchestrators" such as Cisco, CNET, Schwab, and eBay require less capital, return higher revenues per employee, and spread the risks (and benefits) of a volatile market across the network."
For decades, the story of digital commerce has been one of incremental improvement: better search, faster checkout, smarter recommendations. But something more fundamental is now underway. The emergence of agentic commerce, in which AI agents autonomously search, evaluate, and execute purchases on behalf of buyers, represents a genuine architectural shift in how commerce operates. Whether it becomes the revolution its proponents promise, or another technology that peaks at interesting pilot project, will depend on how effectively the AI industry addresses the structural challenges it faces. Agentic Commerce Market Development Agentic commerce involves deploying AI agents to handle the full purchasing cycle. Rather than browsing a website and entering card details yourself, you grant an AI agent the authority to act on your behalf, within defined parameters. The agent handles product discovery, comparison, negotiation, and payment execution. It draws on your procurement preferences, pur...