Microsoft Corp. got a major boost for its .NET business plan
today when it signed a strategic partnership deal with QXL ricardo plc that
will result in enhanced services for the pan-European online auction
operation.
The move puts Microsoft’s .NET operation squarely in the middle of the
Internet auction game worldwide and follows on its
March agreement with U.S. auction giant eBay.
QXL said it plans to implement technologies delivered within
the Microsoft .NET program, including Passport authentication, the .NET
Framework and “Hailstorm” XML Web Services. Financial arrangements were not
disclosed.
Developments will focus on enhancing the user experience for nearly 3 million
QXL members across Europe, particularly in terms of multi-device access to
QXL’s auction services.
QXL services are to be featured via Microsoft’s soon-to-be launched Windows
XP operating system as well as through Windows Messenger,
“This is a significant partnership for QXL, providing us with an excellent
opportunity to further develop our auction management system…” said Jim Rose,
CEO of QXL ricardo. “By bringing together two leading e-commerce and
technology brands, we are confident that we can better satisfy our customers’
ever-expanding needs for enhanced usability and accessibility of our
services.”
“XML and web services will enable (QXL) to extend their reach, deliver more
valuable information as well as exciting new applications and buyer and
seller tools,” said Neil Holloway, managing director of Microsoft Ltd.
QXL conducts consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer auctions in eleven
languages and thirteen currencies.
Earlier this week, Microsoft and McAfee.com said they would work together to put .NET technologies in a number of McAfee security
services.
.NET is Microsoft’s vision of dishing up its software as a Web-based service.