New York, New York - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - September 21, 2007 - Independent video sharing site, Dailymotion, has been added to a global list of approved video hosting services accessible to eBay users, so that sellers will be able to embed video uploaded to Dailymotion’s global network of video sites and have the videos accompany their eBay listings.

The agreement recognizes the increasing popularity of user-generated online video as well as the effectiveness of video as a sales tool. Dailymotion joins other well-known companies such as YouTube, MySpace and MSN in providing video services for eBay sellers. To add video, eBay users may upload video to Dailymotion, and then embed video in item descriptions.

Werner Brell, head of distribution at Dailymotion explained, ”eBay’s community of users will benefit from a user friendly interface and excellent service while buyers will experience a compelling rich media experience.”

Joy Marcus, General Manager for the US at Dailymotion added, ”We are confident that users of eBay’s global network of ecommerce sites will find Dailymotion’s worldwide reach and superior video quality to be useful tools for capturing potential buyers’ attention.” Read more of this news »

San Jose, California - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - June 13, 2007 - E-commerce company, eBay Inc., has revealed a major platform extension solution for developers, affiliates, and entrepreneurs, including new tools and services, at the eBay Developers Conference in Boston.

eBay’s new platform extension gives its growing community of 50,000 third-party developers an environment to build and monetize innovative new applications and put them anywhere, from phones and televisions to personal blogs, Web sites and social networking platforms. eBay’s community of developers and entrepreneurs can use the tools and resources to create new experiences — for buyers and sellers — by integrating the eBay Marketplace with more third-party web sites, platforms and devices. Read more of this news »

The markets have closed and eBay.com officially announced the acquisition of the popular social media browsing site, StumbleUpon for $75 million. Official press release from eBay:

eBay Acquires StumbleUpon

San Jose, Calif., May 30, 2007 – eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) today announced it has acquired StumbleUpon, an early-stage company that helps people discover and share content online, for an aggregate transaction value of approximately $75 million. This acquisition will provide eBay with in-depth exposure to a fast-growing community-based service with approximately 2.3 million users. StumbleUpon gives people a new way to discover relevant and entertaining content based on personal preferences and community recommendations.

“StumbleUpon is a great fit within our goal of pioneering new communities based on commerce and sustained by trust,” said, Michael Buhr, senior director, eBay. “StumbleUpon’s downloadable toolbar provides an engaging and unique experience to its users, but it is the similarities in our approaches to the concept of community that make it such a compelling addition to eBay.”

Driven by word-of-mouth, the StumbleUpon community has grown 150 percent year over year and delivers approximately five million new recommendations a day to its large, highly engaged user base. StumbleUpon allows people to discover Web sites, people, videos, product information, communities and other online content based on personal interests. By allowing its community to rate the content, StumbleUpon gets smarter as it is used and provides an increasing level of relevance over time.

Said Garrett Camp, chief architect and one of three StumbleUpon founders, “We’re excited about joining eBay, as we share the same values around community and we look forward to working with them to accelerate our growth.”

Buhr will serve as general manager of StumbleUpon effective immediately. StumbleUpon’s current founders and management team will remain in their respective positions and will work with Buhr to enhance the user experience, evolve its unique product and grow the community.

eBay does not expect this acquisition to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in conjunction with its first quarter earnings release on April 18, 2007.

About StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great Web sites and videos. With approximately 2.3 million users and approximately five million recommendations daily, StumbleUpon is one of the most popular new ways to discover content on the Web. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.StumbleUpon.com.

About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day through commerce, delivering fun, engaging and trusted online experiences. We are constantly finding new ways to empower people worldwide to explore, learn, shop, share and talk with each other. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, Shopping.com, and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding eBay, StumbleUpon and the expected impact of eBay’s acquisition of StumbleUpon on eBay’s financial guidance. Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the reaction of competitors to the transaction, and the possibility that the expected benefits of the acquisition of StumbleUpon may not materialize to the extent expected or at all. More information about potential factors that could impact eBay’s business and financial results is included under the captions, “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in eBay’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007 which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

read more at biz.yahoo.com or Digg

San Jose, California - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - May 31, 2007 - E-commerce company, eBay Inc., has entered into a commercial agreement with Thailand’s top online portal in Thailand, Sanook!, to launch a new e-commerce website.

The new website is being created to enable individuals and businesses in Thailand to participate in local trade as well as cross border trade through eBay’s global web sites. Under this revenue-sharing agreement, the co-branded site — Sanook! eBay — will be managed and operated under a newly formed Sanook! subsidiary. The Thai-language local site is expected to launch in approximately five to seven months.

Lorrie Norrington, President of eBay international marketplaces remarked, ”The e-commerce community in Thailand is among the most active we’ve seen anywhere. Through this agreement, we are combining our core competency in cross border trade with Sanook’s local market expertise to deliver the best e-commerce experience for Thai users, enabling them to not only engage in domestic trade but also to buy from and sell to the world.”

According to research firm IDC, Thailand currently has more than 16 million Internet users - a figure expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent through 2009. The agreement gives eBay the opportunity to participate and drive economic growth in the region. Once the site is launched, Thailand will be the 38th market where eBay has a local presence. Read more of this news »

San Jose, California - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - May 14, 2007 - E-commerce company, eBay Inc., has acquired a minority stake in the online marketplace, GittiGidiyor.com, to expand its online trading platform and offer a broader range of e-commerce services to Turkish buyers and sellers.

With more than 17 million Internet users — or one quarter of Turkey’s total population — and a strong affinity for online commerce, the Turkish e-commerce sector is a highly attractive market for eBay. The investment makes Turkey the 37th market where eBay has a local presence.

Lorrie Norrington, President of eBay international marketplaces remarked, ”GittiGidiyor.com has established a strong presence and brand name in Turkey. Its business model and community-centric approach make it an excellent complement to our marketplaces business.”

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. eBay does not expect this investment to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in conjunction with its first quarter earnings release on April 18, 2007.

With more than 400,000 listings and more than 60 employees, GittiGidiyor.com is one of the leading players on the Turkish online trading market. GittiGidiyor.com was founded in 2000 by Serkan Borancili, Burak Divanlioglu and Tolga Kabatas and is headquartered in Istanbul. Read more of this news »

Dublin, Ireland - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - May 7, 2007 - According to a new report issued by Research and Markets, eBay merchants have sold over $1 billion in goods and are responsible for over 70 million in transactions.

”The eBay Billionaires’ Club: Exclusive Secrets for Building an Even Bigger and More Profitable Online Business,” features strategies and the latest selling tips from eBay’s most elite merchants. According to the report, of the millions of eBay sellers, only a handful qualify for membership in a special club consisting of the auction site’s cream of the crop. Collectively, these eBay merchants sell more than $1 billion in goods and are responsible for some 70 million transactions each year. They know how to move merchandise, where to find the best inventory, and how to keep customers coming back again and again. Now, for the first time ever, more than a dozen members of this elite organization show readers how to build their own highly successful online businesses.

In The eBay Billionaires’ Club, author Amy Joyner introduces readers to some of eBay’s top merchants, who sell everything from antiques and jewelry to shoes and collectibles. They reveal all-from how they got started to what techniques they used to grow their companies into huge web-based empires. On each information-packed page, readers will discover proven and tested strategies they can use to help propel their own eBay business to the major leagues. Readers will also uncover insider secrets from those who’ve perfected the art of online selling. In addition, each profile contains a series of PowerPointer tips, highlighting various techniques that can be applied to any eBay business right away. Filled with in-depth advice and real world experience, The eBay Billionaires’ Club is a must-read for eBay sellers of all levels.

Amy Joyner (Greensboro, NC) is an online expert and award-winning business and technology reporter. The author of numerous books, including The eBay Millionaire (0-471-71216-7) and The Online Millionaire (0-471-78674-8), she has been writing about e-commerce and entrepreneurship for many years and also runs her own eBay site. She is interviewed regularly in the media by such outlets as CNN, the BBC, National Public Radio, and the Washington Post. Read more of this news »

San Jose, California - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - April 24, 2007 - E-commerce company, eBay Inc., has released its first quarter 2007 financial results, reporting record Q1 net revenues of $1.77 billion, with a Q1 GAAP diluted EPS of $0.27, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $0.33.

Meg Whitman, President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay Inc. remarked, ”This first quarter of 2007 was a very strong one for the company. The strength of our core businesses, as well as the significant traction we’re beginning to see across our newer businesses, helped us deliver great results across the board.”

In addition, eBay reported record consolidated Q1-07 net revenues of $1.77 billion, representing a growth rate of 27% year over year. GAAP operating income was $468 million, an increase of 45% year over year, and represented 26.5% of net revenues. Non-GAAP operating income in Q1-07 was $593 million, representing a 33.6% operating margin and a 29% year-over-year increase.

GAAP net income in Q1-07 increased 52% year over year to $377 million, or $0.27 earnings per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income increased 34% year over year to $460 million, or $0.33 earnings per diluted share. GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 59% and 39% year over year, respectively.

The company purchased approximately 10 million shares of its common stock at a total cost of approximately $333 million during the quarter and may purchase up to an additional $2.0 billion of common stock through January 2009 under its stock repurchase program. Read more of this news »

San Francisco, California - (Website Hosting Directory) - April 24, 2007 - O’Reilly Media and CMP Technology, co-hosts of the Web 2.0 Expo scheduled through April 18 at Moscone West in San Francisco, California, have reportedly received over 10,000 attendee registrations, doubling the number originally expected. Read more of this news »

Alexandria, Virginia - (Website Hosting Directory) - April 13, 2007 - The Online Community Business Forum is sponsoring an invitation-based event, featuring business leaders involved in active online communities. The Online Community Summit, will focus specifically on the business value of online community.

The Business Forum, scheduled for May 3-4 in Sonoma, California, will have an in depth review of the dimensions of value; community metrics; quantifying and reporting ROI; new revenue models; and other important topics for the online community executive. Current attendees include senior staff from the following organizations: Apple, Autodesk, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, eBay, Dell, Work.com, TV Guide, PC and Macworld, and the Patricia Seybold Group. We limit attendance at our executive events to allow true discussion during our sessions.

Event Sponsors to Date include:

Lithium - www.lithium.com
LiveWorld - www.liveworld.com
SolutionSet - www.solutionset.com

The price is $845. The event is expected to sell out in the next 3 weeks. For more event information, or information about sponsorship
opportunities, please contact Bill Johnston, bjohnston@forumone.com. Read more of this news »

Ask Yahoo reports that the first item ever sold on eBay was a laser pointer. In 1995 Pierre Omidyar founded eBay, the now popular online auction site. Though Pierre is now very wealthy, he began AuctionWeb (as then known) as a simple “side hobby.” In late ‘95, Pierre made history when he sold eBay’s first item — the broken laser pointer he had originally purchased as a cat toy. The item is said to have sold for $14.00. Read more about this heavily dugg story here.