uBid Scores a Coup

Chicago-based online auction operation uBid Inc. notched a coup as Hewlett
Packard selected the company for the launch of ChooseHP, a co-branded, fixed-price
shopping site for members of affinity groups allied with HP.


uBid, a unit of Andover, Mass.-based CMGI Inc. , said that
the new e-commerce site offers a full range of HP personal
computers, peripherals and digital imaging equipment..


What’s interesting, though, is that this site is designed to provide a way
for non-traditional retail customers, including those associated with The
Federated Group, AMEX, and other direct mail sources, to purchase products at
a fixed price.


As part of the deal, uBid will provide services to H-P including credit card
processing, fulfillment and call center support. Financial terms of the deal
were not disclosed.


“For years now, HP has been creating marketing partnerships with customers
who are members of associations, including minority colleges/universities
(UNCF) and federal associations, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and
needed a partner with end-to-end transaction capabilities …,” said Jim
Mizera, U.S. affinity sales manager for HP. “Our relationship with uBid will
help us further this strategy…”


uBid, which claims to have more than 3 million registered users, was founded
in April 1997 as a division of Creative Computers, a U.S. catalog retailer.


HP rival IBM has a sales and
marketing channel partnership
with uBid rival eBay .

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