June 10th, 2006
Google and eBay take each other on
eBay has announced it will be rolling out a Google AdSense style contextual ad network (See my "eBay vs. Google: eBay AdContext Contextual Ad Network Set to Launch") and Google is said to have a PayPal style online payment system set for launch (see my "Google Buys Into GBuy Online Payment System?”).
While Google and eBay rollout the new, competing services, however, each company asserts that it is not in competition with the other. Each company has a vested interest in keeping the other as an ally, while they become competitors; eBay is one of Google’s largest AdWords customers and, as such, Google delivers much traffic to eBay, in exchange for much money from eBay.
Along with the tenuous eBay - Google dance, there is a Google - Microsoft race afoot in the up and coming IPTV advertising space (see my “Google vs. Microsoft in Interactive TV Advertising Race”)
UPDATE: First Look: "eBay AdContext “Get Contextual Keywords” ad network tool" and Google June 28: Countdown to GBuy revolution, or to latest Google test, beta, invite… and eBay PayPal vs. Google GBuy: Skype to ’send money’
