Finance | eBay Ink

7 Permanent link to RBH Signing off from eBay Ink. Raising my glass with a hearty cheers! RBH Signing off from eBay Ink. Raising my glass with a hearty cheers!

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

RBH Signing off from eBay Ink. Raising my glass with a hearty cheers!

The day we launched eBay Ink – April 2, 2008 – I posed the following:

Can an employee really be transparent?

I acknowledge that it’s definitely a fine line to walk but one that will only guarantee progress and to be blunt, I think the answer lies with all of us. Not just me. It is in everyone’s best interest – authors and audience alike – to remain honest, transparent and authentic as we contribute to the eBay Ink conversation.

We need to ask the honest questions and search for honest answers. Authors and commenters alike are tasked to look for solutions that serve the community at large (employees and executives; the buyers and sellers; the operators and analysts; the technologists and executives).

I would argue that this is as true today as the day I wrote it over 4 years ago. When I first started blogging for eBay here on eBay Ink, the first question I always got was “how the heck did you land that job?” (Based on some of my posts, I’m sure a lot of you have asked the same question over the years). It has been a great ride to be sure. Given the sheer “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” nature of corporate blogging, the more appropriate question should be “How did you keep it?”

After 1,250 blog posts, 8,000+ comments, 13 earnings calls, 8 seller releases, 7 eBay: On Locations, 2 analyst days and an eBay Live, it is time to watch my baby grow up. Just as I am facing a new, exciting opportunity within the eBay business, so too is the eBay Ink Blog on to bigger and better things.

Starting June 18, I will be joining the StubHub team in San Francisco, heading up all of our social media efforts. To say I am excited would be an understatement.

Having said that, it is a bittersweet moment for me. On the one hand, I welcome the challenge and natural progression of my career here at eBay… on the other, I always knew that this day would come… the day when my dorky eyes would stop staring back at you from our corporate blog.

This move is good for everyone. A fresh approach to the blog can only mean fresh perspectives, heightened commentary, new content, and a clear set of eyes on everything. I would argue that for too long, this blog has relied on the primary content and perspective of one individual and given how far this company has grown in the past the 4+ years, it would be short-sighted of us to think it should continue as such. It is time to evolve eBay Ink to be truly representative of the eBay Inc. family of businesses and customers. More info on this in the coming weeks.

For now, all that is left for me to say is thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for your support and for contributing to the conversation. Thank you for keeping me honest. Thank you for congratulating me when I got it right and thank you for showing me the error of my ways on the occasions that I got it wrong. It has been a significant step of the journey that I am very proud of and I have appreciated every moment along the way.

Cheers!
RBH
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0 Permanent link to Got questions for the Social & Mobile Commerce Panel at #eBayOL? Let me know. Got questions for the Social & Mobile Commerce Panel at #eBayOL? Let me know.

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Got questions for the Social & Mobile Commerce Panel at #eBayOL? Let me know.

All,
I’m getting ready to head to Denver for the 7th eBay: On Location. I’ll be moderating a panel to end the educational day on Friday and I’m looking for questions to ask the panelists. Feel free to tweet them to me @ebayinkblog or leave them in the comments section below.

Social & Mobile Commerce Panel
eBay: On Location – Denver
Friday, May 25, 2012
3:45 – 5:00 pm

Speakers:
• Peggy MacDonald, Product Manager, eBay Mobile
• Martin Herbst, Director of Global Merchant Experience, PayPal Here
• Garry Wiseman, Sr. Director of Social Commerce Product Management
• Richard Brewer-Hay, Sr. Manager of Social Media, eBay Inc.

Panel Overview:
Listen in as experts in the social and mobile commerce world discuss their visions on where these powerful platforms are headed, share trends, and discuss new innovations on the horizon.

Check out the full list of speakers at eBay: On Location.

Check out the full list of sessions at eBay: On Location.

Cheers!
RBH
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0 Permanent link to eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 18 #InkRoundup eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 18 #InkRoundup

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Friday, May 18th, 2012

eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 18 #InkRoundup

eBay UK Says Retail on Cusp of Third Wave of Tech Revolution
eBay UK commissioned research by retail firm Conlumino shows that the retail industry is “on the cusp of a third wave of technological revolution.” After online and mobile, a new wave of shopping technologies will again present opportunities and challenges for the retail industry. The new buzzword will soon be TV-commerce, as research suggests that one in four people in the UK will regularly use an interactive TV to shop by the end of 2014. [via TechRadar]

Enter the StubHub Bonnaroo Total Access Sweepstakes!
Enter for a chance to win an experience of a lifetime to the biggest festival of the year. The winner and 8 of their best ‘Roo friends get into the festival for an all VIP/Total Access opportunity, which includes backstage passes, limo, concierge service and more! Make this summer rock and enter here.

Further News
+ Facebook gains in public debut after record $16 billion IPO.
+ Starbucks brews loyalty with mobile payments‎.
+ Is Pinterest the next billion dollar company?

Looking Back on eBay Ink
May 23, 2011: Cheers to all small businesses out there! I just wanted to reiterate how grateful I am to the eBay Ink Social Media Sellers who contributed articles last week to celebrate National Small Business Week. The response I’ve received from folks has been really positive and I plan on making it more of a recurring feature on the blog moving forward. I’ve already received interest from additional social media sellers who’d like to contribute articles for the blog so, if you’re interested in either becoming a certified eBay Ink Social Media Seller or just have a cool story to share with readers, please feel free to email us.

eBay Ink Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.
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0 Permanent link to eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 11 #InkRoundup eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 11 #InkRoundup

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Friday, May 11th, 2012

eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 11 #InkRoundup

eBay Plans Second Development Center in India
eBay Inc. unveiled plans for a new facility in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, where it’s expected 1,000 engineers will be employed in three years to develop software for online marketplace and payment platform divisions. The proposed facility is the second software development center in India for eBay – the first, in the city of Chennai, employs some 2,200 people. eBay also runs its online retail operations in the country through a local unit. [via Computer World]

eBay On Location Around Corner
A quick reminder for those looking to join us in Denver May 24-25, 2012 for eBay OnLocation. Register now for your chance to find out what works best from eBay experts, business gurus and your fellow eBay sellers.

Further News
+ Will your Klout score get you hired?
+ Infographic showing five things we’ve learned about social sites, Pinterest and Facebook.
+ How to use social media for powerselling
+ Is the online shopping checkout harming or helping you?

Looking Back on eBay Ink
May 11, 2011: From The PayPal Blog: “PayPal leads, others follow”. You may have heard that Visa announced plans to launch a digital wallet in the US and Canada later this year. As the lines between online and offline commerce continue to blur, this is yet another sign that the payment industry’s model for success in our new digital world is looking more and more like PayPal’s.
While other companies are following PayPal’s business model, we’re already light years ahead. More than 98 million people around the world have already trusted us with their digital wallets. PayPal was built 12 years ago, because traditional payment methods weren’t designed for the digital world. We’ve offered mobile payments since 2006 and expect to do more than $2 billion in mobile this year. We’ve offered micropayments since 2005 and launched our solution for digital goods last year. We plan to be at retail point of sale by the end of this year. You can read the full blog post: PayPal leads, others follow.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.
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2 Permanent link to Early Bird Registration for eBay: On Location – Denver – ends today Early Bird Registration for eBay: On Location – Denver – ends today

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Early Bird Registration for eBay: On Location – Denver – ends today

We’re just a couple of weeks away from the first eBay: On Location of 2012 (in Denver, CO) and today is the last day for the Early Bird Registration of $59 ($79 after today). I’m excited to be attending this one for a number of reasons. eBayOL gives all of us an opportunity to meet eBay sellers face-to-face and the networking opportunities provided by the 2-day conference cannot be overstated enough. However, I’m also particularly excited at the formal agenda this time around. In addition to moderating a panel focused on Social Mobile Commerce, I’m also looking forward to being part of the audience for a number of social-focused presentations and to the opportunity to see our CEO, John Donahoe, and our president of eBay Global Marketplaces, Devin Wenig, speak to attendees.

Check out the full list of speakers at eBay: On Location.

Check out the full list of sessions at eBay: On Location.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Denver later this month!

Cheers!
RBH
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0 Permanent link to eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 4 #InkRoundup eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 4 #InkRoundup

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Friday, May 4th, 2012

eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – May 4 #InkRoundup

Available Now: eBay App Update for iPad
It’s a big leap from the previous version, in that it’s a complete design overhaul, but the updated eBay for iPad app introduces a number of new features, most of which were suggested by users. The main attraction in the new and improved app may be the Retina-optimized graphics, but it may also be the app’s snazzy home screen. The home screen gathers Buying, Watching, and Selling activities in one easily accessible place, along with handy links to deals and specific categories. The app is also easily customizable, by using the “wiggle” mode users can delete unwanted items and add desired ones. The app is not just for buyers either, sellers can quickly research sale trends, list items, and make sales from virtually anywhere in the world. [via eBay Ink]

Further News
+ Are men online shopping more than women?
+ 39 million Americans purchased over their mobile devices last year.
+ Mobile isn’t just changing how we shop, it’s changing who is shopping

Posts From the Week
+ eBay unveils all new iPad App 2.0; 5 minutes with eBay Mobile VP, Steve Yankovich
+ eBay Technology Center of Excellence Coming to the Big Apple #ebaynews

Looking Back on eBay Ink
May 2, 2011: eBay has acquired MissionFish – the innovative technology and team that powers the eBay Giving Works program – from the Points of Light Institute. Since 2003, MissionFish has provided eBay with the back-end tech to power the eBay Giving Works program in the US (they’ve powered eBay for Charity – the same program in the UK – since 2005). I’ve written about them many times here on Ink and in the more than 8 years they’ve been an eBay partner, they’ve helped raise nearly a quarter of a billion dollars for the nonprofit sector by connecting consumers with nonprofit causes.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.
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1 Permanent link to eBay Technology Center of Excellence Coming to the Big Apple #ebaynews eBay Technology Center of Excellence Coming to the Big Apple #ebaynews

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

eBay Technology Center of Excellence Coming to the Big Apple #ebaynews

Tebowmania isn’t the only thing heading East and hitting the Big Apple this Fall. Today, we announced our newest eBay Technology Center of Excellence based in New York City. Located at 625 6th Avenue, the office will welcome the Hunch team (acquired by eBay in late 2011), and expand to more than 200 people over the next couple of years – most of whom will work on cool technology and data programs that are critical to the eBay experience.

The office will be led by Hunch co-founder Chris Dixon and is expected to be an amazing open, bright space when it opens in fall 2012. It will also feature:
* Large public event area
* Dedicated space for start-up and entrepreneur incubation
* A permanent installation of the PayPal Shopping Showcase, which highlights the new digital payments evolution that PayPal is powering

If you’ve been following eBay Ink over the past couple of years you’d be hard pressed to miss the technology updates and new products that have been taking center stage. Whether it’s a brand-new homepage, dedication to a new search engine, mobile leadership, or commerce innovation, eBay is truly a tech company, and it definitely doesn’t seem to be shifting that focus anytime soon.

This tech focus has not been isolated to Silicon Valley and the expansion doesn’t start and end in NYC either. For instance, in January, eBay opened a new technology center of excellence in the Seattle area. Led by Ken Moss, this team is at the cutting edge of data mining, Hadoop, machine learning and more.

Located in the Flatiron District, the historic 625 6th Avenue was built in the late 1870s and once housed the B. Altman & Co. department store.

The NYC office will be eBay’s latest center of excellence, one of several prestigious hubs for eBay Inc. that focus on technical development and engineering as well as customer service, shipping and other disciplines that are crucial to the way eBay operates and innovates. There are several centers all over the world in cities including Seattle, Austin, and Tel Aviv, Portland as eBay expands its presence to acquire, recruit and retain technology talent.

This investment allows us to build a long-term presence in NYC and is the latest in our commitment to advancing technologists and technology in centers around the world.

I’ll keep you posted on grand opening plans – maybe we can grab a beer together on that new roof deck in the Fall?

Cheers,
RBH
- eBay Technology Center of Excellence
- hunch
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3 Permanent link to eBay unveils all new iPad App 2.0; 5 minutes with eBay Mobile VP, Steve Yankovich eBay for iPad App 2.0 hits the iTunes store #ebaynews [VIDEO]

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

eBay unveils all new iPad App 2.0; 5 minutes with eBay Mobile VP, Steve Yankovich

eBay has unveiled it’s all new eBay for iPad App 2.0 in the Apple iTunes store this morning and I’m already playing with it. Building on the impressive mobile commerce legacy that eBay has already carved out for itself in just a few years- including creating one of the very first apps for the first generation iPad – eBay has built the new app from the ground up and really focused on the unique shopping experience that the tablet provides. I sat down with Steve Yankovich, vice president of eBay Mobile, to chat about the new app and how far we’ve come in just three and a half years:

With the first signs of personalization and new search functionality, the app caters to all kinds of buyers – from the shopper who knows exactly what they want to the buyer who wants to get lost in the immersive experience and browse any number of images and categories.

Key Features:
• Customizable home screen – Easily access items for watching, buying, or selling and instantly search from favorite categories
• Stunning images – Double resolution optimized for the new iPad
• Quick listings – Create a listing in under a minute
• Multiple views – Seamlessly switch between three views of search results – ranging from highly visual to very detailed
• Photo browsing – Flip through multiple images with the swipe of your finger for easy browsing
• Barcode scanner – Research items and import details right into the listing
• Photo upload – Effortlessly upload photos from your iPad 2 camera or photo library for iPad and iPad 2
• Advanced search – Target your results to listings that fit your budget, category, condition, size, color, or style
• Customer service on the go – See how items are performing, reply to questions promptly, and provide speedy response to Best Offers
• Effortless navigation – Buy and sell in “My eBay” without ever clicking away from the search screen – products are always in view. Users can now also view “More Like This” from sellers and easily transition back and forth between search results
• Watch with eBay – Quickly access the Watch with eBay™ app to browse items relevant to the shows on TV
• Availability – Download for free all over the globe in the following iTunes stores: AU, AT, BE, BE-FR, CA, CA-FR, FR, DE, IE, IT, NL, ES, CH, UK, US

I also got a first-look demo of the app itself:

It’s not just for buyers either. Sellers can quickly research sale trends, list items, and make sales from virtually anywhere. They can scan an item using the barcode scanner to easily pre-populate a listing and sellers can now revise their listings directly from the iPad app.

Like I said, I’m a big fan. I’ve become a pretty addicted mobile shopper over the past few months and even bought my first big ticket item via eBay for iPad – our new family TV – just a couple of weeks ago. I look forward to really getting under the hood

Cheers,
RBH

Related Reads:
eBay Adds Barcode Scanning, Personalization, Better Image Quality To New Version Of iPad App
eBay Mobile Fast Facts
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0 Permanent link to eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – April 27 #InkRoundup eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – April 27 #InkRoundup

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Friday, April 27th, 2012

eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – April 27 #InkRoundup

Magento Updates Support Multi-Channel Commerce
This week, eBay’s Magento division announced new enhancements to its ecommerce software that includes mobile features and expanded integration of PayPal Payments. Updates include HTML5 for creating compelling shopping experiences. “From research to checkout and beyond, merchants can now drive conversions more effectively, increase order size and build customer loyalty,” said Roy Rubin, general manager of Magento and chief product and customer officer of X.commerce. The company showcased the enhancements during its second annual Magento Imagine eCommerce conference on Tuesday. [via Mobile Payments Today]

Enter eBay Green Driving Contest
Who doesn’t love the smell of a new car? Enter for your chance to win a Toyota Prius, and learn how to save money at the pump with the wide variety of unique, green vehicles available on eBay Green Driving. eBay Green Driving is the latest in a series of programs and experiences designed to help eBay buyers and sellers make more sustainable shopping decisions. It offers user-friendly tools and resources, as well as eBay’s unique green vehicle and parts inventory, in a single location, to help people determine the best ways to “green” their daily driving routines – including information on electric vehicles, hybrids, clean diesels, compressed natural gas and ethanol vehicles, as well as high-MPG gasoline vehicles.

Further News
+ Take a look at this music video and get shopping.
+ Does mobile commerce encourage laziness?
+ A winning social commerce strategy: Don’t ask how, ask why
+ Ten habits of global online shoppers.

Posts From the Week
+ eBay Sellers Go To Washington
+ The Magento Imagine eCommerce Conference Kicks off in Las Vegas

Looking Back on eBay Ink
April 28, 2011: eBay sponsor Shazam App for Android giving users unlimited tagging. Shazam updated its Android App today bringing unlimited tagging sponsored by eBay for all “Shazamers” using the Shazam Free App and “Shazam Friends”, a real-time feed with the App of songs that Facebook friends have tagged. This essentially creates a continuously updating list for Shazamers to discover and share new music with their friends. The deal with eBay means that instead of just five free tags in a month, users can now tag as much music as they want between now and January 1st, 2012. This is the first exclusive App sponsorship deal agreed by eBay anywhere in the world, and the first time Shazam has selected a partner to provide free services to their customers.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.
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3 Permanent link to eBay Sellers Go To Washington eBay Sellers Go To Washington

FEATURED POSTRichard Brewer-Hay / Thursday, April 26th, 2012

eBay Sellers Go To Washington

I had to share this pretty cool post from the eBay Main Street blog today…

The 2012 U.S. of eBay Fly-In event wrapped up today with highly successful meetings on Capitol Hill. eBay Sellers from across the country met with many of their members of Congress in both the House and Senate. As expected, members of Congress were very welcoming to their constituents and receptive to working on the current issues affecting small businesses, primarily Internet sales tax. (Full post).

Great to see eBay sellers representing the face of eCommerce first-hand on the steps of Washington D.C.

Be sure to follow @ebaygr on Twitter for future updates.

Cheers,
RBH

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RBH Signing off from eBay Ink. Raising my glass with a hearty cheers!

Early Bird Registration for eBay: On Location – Denver – ends today

eBay Technology Center of Excellence Coming to the Big Apple #ebaynews

eBay unveils all new iPad App 2.0; 5 minutes with eBay Mobile VP, Steve Yankovich

eBay Sellers Go To Washington

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