Regarded as the oldest business organization worldwide, with some chambers being nearly 400 years in operation, the World Chambers Network is a unique and vital business tool and the only global business network of some 12,000 registered Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Boards of Trade. The latter in turn represents millions of businesses across the globe and is present in every country.
WCN is the official Chamber of Commerce and Industry hub for the international trade, verification and trust services and other business-related services. As such, the organization serves CCI's and other member companies. WCN is a federative consortium and initiative that offers services through a wide range of online systems with common global standards, while strengthening access to the local market and the individuality of a region.
Mobilized by WCN is the worldwide network of chambers of commerce for working together at one Internet location, namely www.worldchambers.com. It is also the partner site to www.world-ecommerce.com, targeted at business members of chambers of commerce. The site of the organization promotes communication between chambers and provides a forum for the best practice exchange. Fostered by WCN is a comprehensive exchange of business information on a variety of subjects, such as technology, services, products, resources and markets. By using Global Business Exchange Service of the World Chambers Network a small company can operate as efficiently and quickly as a large one.
The mission of the World Chambers Network is to open the global market through standardized tools, lower costs for growing, dynamic and entrepreneurial businesses and increase sales and exposure. Throughout its history, WCN has been pursuing a number of objectives,
- To offer one stop shopping for international trade-oriented companies in search of CCI services;
- To host new business services adapted to needs of medium-sized and small enterprises on the global market;
- To develop and host trusted third party activities which play an important role in the e-commerce world, like seal programs, information validation, secure repositories with notarization, electronic signature certification and applied research for SME;
Furthermore, the organization looks to foster applied Research and Development for major independent businesses in co-operation with post secondary institutions and through such institutes as the Global Enterprise Innovations and Commerce Center.
One of the latest WCN innovations is the introduction of e-Club - an interactive online service, designed to provide chamber members with e-commerce opportunities and targeted global marketing. This service enables members to e-mail business opportunities automatically to customers all over the world.
The approach of e-Club to e-commerce helps ensure that both sellers and buyers of services and goods focus where potential businesses exist in vastness of cyberspace. Offered by WCN is also an extensive business opportunities database, a trade resource library, the Chambers of Commerce Registry and the Global Business Exchange.