This is usually done in efforts to secure depository insurance on the capital, during times of high risk and volatility in market interest rates.
[1] Disintermediation occurs naturally, as competition from different financial firms can allow for higher investment yield, which causes funds to flow away from depository institutions.
The Banking Act of 1933 included a clause called Regulation Q, which established laws that created interest ceilings for all types of deposit accounts at Federally Insured institutions.
[5] Unfortunately in this era of business the amount of processes needed for an online company to function properly make it nearly impossible for a firm to produce a product and distribute it directly to the consumer.
This means that a company involved in eCommerce will partner with intermediaries to perform functions such as supply-chain management, rather than operating in a direct-to-consumer model.