PC Home, eBay announce new venture

PC Home Online (網路家庭), one of the nation's major online portals, and US auction giant eBay Inc announced yesterday the formation of a joint venture, which will replace the current online auction sites of both companies in Taiwan.

"The joint venture is a milestone for PC Home," company chairman Jan Hung-tze (詹宏志), said in a statement. "By combining PC Home's local experience in e-commerce and eBay's international presence, we will provide services that meet the various demands of local users."

Jan Hung-tze and Jay Lee, president of eBay's Asia Pacific region, signed a contract for the cooperation yesterday. According to the initial plan, the two companies will launch a co-brand online auction site to replace PC Home's current auction store and eBay's Taiwan portal, the statement said.

PC Home will be in charge of the new company, it said, without providing other details, which will be determined by the end of the year.

The joint venture may increase eBay's reach to local users. Despite claiming victories in various markets in the world, eBay has been encountering difficulties in expanding in Taiwan, which is led by Yahoo-Kimo Inc (雅虎奇摩), Yahoo Inc's Taiwan branch, with its advantage as an Internet portal.

Through the project, PC Home can further strengthen its virtual business, which includes several online shopping stores, a co-branded Internet telephony service with Skype Technologies SA and personalized services such as blogs.