E-Commerce Evolution

In recent weeks I have received a number of inquires from e-commerce novices wondering how e-commerce developed into the multi billion dollar industry that we have today. It's been just short of a decade since the Internet bubble burst in 2001, and the intervening years have seen the rise of powerhouse companies such as Google, MySpace and Facebook. But how did this change occur? While searching for the answer to this question I came accross an interesting video clip on youtube which I hope will be able to answer some of your questions. Please feel free to leave comments with any further questions and your respose to the video!

Yahoo launches new mobile service!

Last week Yahoo announced its new Yahoo mobile service for smartphones. The company also made the announcement that a new Yahoo messenger service was in the pipeline for the iPhone. The new service is accessible through mobile devices with Web browsers as well as a native iPhone application. It ties together many services, including email, social networking profiles, news, search, an address book and a calendar. The new launch clearly outlines Yahoo's intentions of becoming a major player in the potentially lucrative world of mobile advertising. Yahoo Mobile for the Web will feature display advertising from leading brands, and its integrated platform will let consumers send ads to friends, locate advertisers or their stores, and click to either call advertisers directly or learn more about the products or offers advertised. With Yahoo struggling financially of late they see mobile advertising as a key sector in order to ensure financial stability. But will Yahoo Mobile for the Web be able to provide the results they are looking for?

For more information on the the topic above click on the link below.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/66698.html

Facebook to Make Second Attempt at Classified Ads

Facebook has decided to take a second swing at online classified ads. This time around they have opted to team up with Oodle to launch a classified section that combines selling with the more social aspects that Facebook's users have grown accustomed to. How Facebook will make money from them is still to be determined, however.
The decision to choose Oodle as the software platform appears to be a good one due the companies continued success with AOL and MySpace. But will Facebook be able to reap the same rewards? Online classifieds appears to many as a market with guaranteed success, but in a recent interview which I carried out with Oodle's CEO, Craig Donato, he was quick to inform me that "Online classifieds in social networking communities, as it turns out, is a harder nut to crack than many people would expect." But this time around Facebook can not afford to fail. In a recent interview with Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group, he told me that "Facebook really needs a revenue model that can support valuation." Without this revenue model Facebook is completely overvalued. So will this launch be a success? Let me know your opinions on the subject!