For eBay auction bidders tired of losing out to last-minute snipers whilst running errands (or whatever may pull your attention from the computer), VeriSign and eBay announced an agreement to deliver mobile alerts via SMS from VeriSign’s Intelligent Messaging Network (VIMN).
VeriSign’s network, which delivers some 3 billion SMS messages per month, will allow eBayers to monitor items during “crucial end-of-listing periods” and receive outbid notifications on the run.
“These time-critical mobile alerts can improve response time to listings that are ending soon,” said Eric Shoup, group product manager, eBay Wireless.
“By using VeriSign’s Intelligent Messaging Network to deliver mobile alerts, our customers can enhance their experience by having key bidding information regardless of location and device.”
eBayers can register for the outbid alerts and end-of-auction alerts on the eBay.com website. The system also allows re-bidding from mobile handsets, complete with highest bid confirmation. Bill Wolfe, senior vice president for VeriSign Communications Services called the service a “loyalty-building experience.”
The VIMN service will be available across all major domestic wireless operators in the United States. For those extra-competitive eBayers who need more vigilant sniping services, just google [ebay sniping] for a complete list of sniper-bot offerings.
News of the partnership may have been overshadowed by eBay’s announcement last week of a slew of new API offerings for webmasters and developers interested in expanding product listings and widgets beyond eBay.com.
That news followed the previous weeks’ bombshells that include an expansive relationship with Yahoo! to expand its search presence while incorporating Yahoo! search advertising into eBay.com itself.
In addition, eBay has added “Skype Me” icons to its auctioneer offerings to link up sellers and buyers via voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) connections. The company also announced the launch of eBay member blogs and wikis to add to product and seller information offerings.
Shares of eBay are up as of 2:30 PM EST to $30.37 (+0.30%) while VeriSign stocks are down 0.95% to $21.84.
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