IBM gets online with eBay

Big Blue pins ecommerce hopes on a consistent profit-maker

IBM announced a twofold deal with dot-com giant eBay, which will see IBM sell servers and PCs through the successful auction site. In addition the deal includes eBay standardising on IBM's Websphere software to power its website. Lou D'Ambrosio, vice president for sales & marketing IBM Software Group, said the deal is important because it is an endorsement of its web technology from the company that is the potential commercial success of the internet. EBay is famously one of the few dot-coms to consistently bring in a profit. IBM refused to disclose the value of business it was hoping to do through the eBay site. IBM will sell PCs, servers and software over the auction house, using a combination of fixed-price selling, public auctions and other channels to buyers. Neither company would disclose the financial details.