EBay Expected to End Fees for Third-Party Developers

[mandy]

EBay is expected to announce Monday that it is ending the fees it charges software developers who build Web sites and software programs that channel buyers and sellers its way.

The move could help eBay protect its dominance of online auctioneering from an encroachment by Yahoo or Google.

full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/business/14ebay.html

alternate links to same article:  link 1  link 2

[mandy]

:

eBay just issued a press release confirming the end of developer fees:

API Calls, Program Membership and Application Certification Now Free of Charge to eBay Developers and Affiliates

SAN JOSE, Calif., November 14, 2005— The eBay Developers Program, a world-class Web Services program focused on creating the next generation of solutions for eBay buyers and sellers, today announced that all developer and affiliate members will now be able to access eBay Web Services for free. Designed to encourage and accelerate innovation on the eBay platform, free access to eBay Web Services will allow Developers Program members to create new solutions, explore new business models and expand on their current offerings while potentially saving thousands of dollars.

As part of this change, eBay Developers Program membership will include free use of the eBay’s Application Programming Interface (API), free membership and certification, and the availability of live technical support for all members. Members will also be able to promote their application in the eBay Solutions Directory, a directory of third-party solutions designed to enhance the buying and selling experience on eBay. The eBay Developers Program has more than doubled over the past year, to 21,000 members and more than1600 member-developed applications.

“As one of the largest Web Services platforms in the world, eBay offers unparalleled opportunities for developers and affiliates to build and grow profitable businesses,” said Greg Isaacs, director of the eBay Developers Program. “By eliminating the fees associated with eBay Developers Program membership, we hope to encourage new ideas and accelerate the growth of our developer and affiliate communities who are taking the eBay buying and selling experience to the next level.”

Free API calls are available to all members of the eBay Developers Program who are placing calls using the unified schema that eBay announced in February 2005. The unified schema was created to allow all eBay developers to have access to new site features simultaneously, receive better documentation and sample code, and enable eBay’s support team to be more responsive to inquiries and application certification requests. While eBay Web Services will continue to support all five development interfaces - SOAP, XML, .Net, Java and REST - API calls made using the legacy schema will only be supported until June 2006, and will continue to be charged at the previous call rates. Thus, existing Developers Program members have an immediate financial incentive to migrate their applications to the unified schema.

With 168 million registered users of the eBay marketplace, the eBay Developers Program provides an unprecedented global opportunity for developers to expand their businesses and create new channels of revenue. eBay Web Services is one of the world’s most widely used Web Services platforms, supporting approximately 2.5 billion API calls per month. Approximately 45 percent of all listings on eBay.com are facilitated through eBay Web Services. For more information on the eBay Developers Program please visit www.developer.ebay.com.

more info: http://www.developer.ebay.com/

[xppman]

Looks as if ebay is throwing out bones.

I'm telling you guys.
ebay has some BIG troubles on the horizon and they know it.
The snowball effect is taking hold. 

[stardust]

My guess is that they're trying to solidify some of their base prior to Google releasing their new programs -- knowing that Google will probably also be free...........  ALL biz, whether on the street or on the net, has to adapt to the times and change for the future -- or go under fast.

With that said, I should heed my own words.

[bargainbloodhound]

[quote author=xppman link=topic=1268.msg4770#msg4770 date=1131976118]
Looks as if ebay is throwing out bones.

[/quote]

I don't think they had any choice since Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are giving IT (developer access) away for free.  We've been using Amazon's web services for free for years on a couple of our sites.

[amy]

***eBay Developer Challenge 2006*** 

November 14, 2005 | 10:33AM PST/PT

The eBay Developers Program, in conjunction with O'Reilly and Associates, is offering a contest for software developers.  Winners will be selected in the Best Original Application and Best Open Source Collaboration categories.  Prizes include $5,000 in cash, Xbox 360™ game consoles, iPod Nano™  music players, and the chance to demonstrate winning applications at the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego from March 6-9, 2006. 

To learn more about the eBay Developer Challenge, please see our information page.

To learn about the eBay Developers Program, please visit http://developer.ebay.com.

//this announcement brought to you by the makers of