Chapter 3.2 EBUSINESS{0}
eBay bringing mobile apps into the future
EBay has revealed their plans in moving forward in the mobile market. Previously users could place bids on an eBay auction using their mobile phones, but they could not make a purchase. In order to complete the transaction process they would have to log on to a computer. Then in 2009 it became possible for users to make purchases using an application that came out for the iPhone. Since then eBay had been working on releasing new apps focused on specific categories such as sporting electronics, motors, etc. They are also planning on making improvements so that the next version of the eBay app will allow the user to sell products as well as purchase them.
Along with these improvements, eBay plans on bringing out new applications such as the “Motors App.” This will allow consumers to scan a vehicles VIN number, and then the app will use the scanned number to look up the vehicles Carfax. EBay is also working their “Red Laser” technology that will allow the consumers to find items not just by their barcode, but by their shape and color. They hope this technology will allow consumers to can an item in a store and use that to search for the best possible deal.
This article was directly related to the material we covered in class this week. In chapter 3 we covered ebusiness models. One of these models was consumer-to-consumer ebusiness, which uses eBay as an example. The book also talked about Mobile commerce which relates to how eBay is creating new app’s to make it easier for people to use their business from a mobile device, such as a smart phone.
I found this article to be very interesting because it has to do with technology I am somewhat familiar with. I myself have an iPhone and like to check out all the new popular apps that are released. It is a very smart strategy for eBay to enter the mobile commerce market because it these days it is a very popular. In interested in seeing how their “Red Laser” technology will compare to Google’s “Goggles.” I have seen that first hand and I was very impressed.
Gohring, N. (2010, September 7). EBay bringing mobile apps into the future. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 12, 2010, from. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/07/urnidgns002570F3005978D888257790008347E5.DTL