Forum Moderators: buckworks
I take it you are looking for a longer answer now? Essentially, they are acting as a clearing house and rallying point for niche areas, where in a single country you may only find a few dozen experts/suppliers in a given field, globally you have a better chance of finding someone who has relevant experience to your needs.
The internet is the crucial piece, because it is the layer that allows geographically separated customers and suppliers to communicate, and express their needs and/or offering in a standardised format.
Standardisation is a much misunderstood phenomenon. Global trade needs a stable platform to be conducted from, and the Internet may prove to be it
