Google plans classified ad service but competition to eBay?

Google plans classified ad service but competition to eBay?
SAN FRANCISCO: Google appears to be taking potshots at eBay. The search company is known to be readying a service, which can be a serious competition to eBay's auction sites, according to newspaper reports. The service, the reports said, allows people to list goods and services for sale. Google has named it Google Base.

A Google spokesperson said the company is testing ways for content owners to send their content to Google. Except adding that the company is continually exploring new opportunities to expand our offerings, the spokesperson said "we don't have anything to announce at this time".

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The company had made available briefly a website, www.base.google.com, and information was posted on the site. It said the service will be Google's database into which a user can add all types of content. Google will host the content and make it searchable online for free.

Google watchers feel the new service is designed for listings on all kinds of subjects and display them as part of its sponsored ad links pages displaying search results from Google queries. It can amount to low-cost advertising and pose a threat even to established media companies.

As an example, users can list a used car for sale or post "descriptions of party-planning service" or a "database of protein structures". At the outset, it may seem that Google is merely allowing people to post details of anything, but in actuality it can be a major platform to place offers for sale of anything. The company may offer the service for free, but it will be like its contextual advertising used in adwords.