eBay Base Case

By Deborah Gage  |  Posted 2001-10-29 Email Print this article Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Microsoft may have thought it had an inside track on getting eBay to support its Microsoft.NET services initiative. But eBay had other ideas.

eBay Base Case

Headquarters: 2145 Hamilton Ave., San Jose, Calif.

Phone Number: (408) 558-7400

Business: Provides a Web-based community in which buyers and sellers are brought together in an auction format to buy and sell items.

Chief Information Officer: Maynard Webb, president, eBay Technologies

Financials in 2000: $431.4 million in sales, $48.3 million in net income, 11% net profit

Challenge: Upgrade existing technology to accommodate projected traffic growth, increase productivity of developers, improve integration of eBay software with partners' software, customize services for targeted sellers and buyers, and improve overall user experience.

Baseline Goals:

  • Achieve annual sales of $3 billion by 2005
  • Handle $50 billion worth of merchandise in auctions annually by 2005
  • Maintain—and expand on—current annual gross profit margin of 82%
  • Make buying and selling items on eBay easier and more focused on well-identified demographics
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    Senior Writer
    debbie_gage@ziffdavisenterprise.com
    Based in Silicon Valley, Debbie was a founding member of Ziff Davis Media's Sm@rt Partner, where she developed investigative projects and wrote a column on start-ups. She has covered the high-tech industry since 1994 and has also worked for Minnesota Public Radio, covering state politics. She has written freelance op-ed pieces on public education for the San Jose Mercury News, and has also won several national awards for her work co-producing a documentary. She has a B.A. from Minnesota State University.

     
     
     
     
     
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