The information market place is on the horizon. However, it is unlikely that the basic functions of commerce will change appreciably, even as the coming electronic revolution dramatically changes the forms of commerce. Thus, it is of fundamental importance to carefully consider existing commercial activities in designing and proposing new infrastructures for the future. This volume presents, in eight chapters contributed by leading experts from industry, academia and government, an unique overview of current research issues and applications in the evolving area of electronic commerce; it is based on a workshop held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland in December 1994.