Anything You Can Do, Microsoft Attempts
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Written By Reprise Media | February 10, 2006 | Share This
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They out-Netscaped Netscape. They’re trying (without success) to out-Google Google. Microsoft’s latest target of internet one-upmanship? Craigslist, king of the online local classifieds. Beta News reports that Microsoft is now offering use of their budding classifieds portal, Windows Live Expo, to a hand-picked cadre of Seattle-area businesses, to be followed by a nationwide beta test in “spring.”
On the heels of months-long internal trials, during which Microsoft employees put up mostly concert tickets and (no surprise) consumer electronics gear for sale, product unit manager Garry Wiseman announced the baby-step with an understated, “we figured we’d try this and see what happens.” The modesty ended there. “We’re more local than Craigslist,” he boasted.
Well, that remains to be seen, but at least Expo is integrated with Windows Live Local; Microsoft’s mapping system allows Expo users to search for listings within a specified distance and see exactly where sellers are located. Expo will also work with other elements of Windows Live, such as Windows Live Messenger, and later should show up on MSN Spaces, where bloggers could use a module to link to their Expo listings.
But otherwise, pretty much like Craigslist? Well, pretty much, although Wiseman says that Expo’s big point of differentiation is that it’s built to create “a more trustworthy marketplace.” For instance, users can search only listings within their own email doman - sure, because we’ve never been spammed by those trustworthy Hotmailers - or listings by folks in their own address books. Sounds interesting, but if we wanted to buy stuff from people like that, we’d probably use…email.
Topics: Advertising: Online |