News EBay says Google no threat

From Reuters:

LONDON (Reuters) - Meg Whitman, chief executive of online auctioneer eBay has downplayed speculation that its chief business partner, the popular Google search engine, is poised to become its biggest rival.

Talk is rife that Google is seeking to diversify its business after it emerged late last month that the five-year-old search engine is considering an initial public offering of shares in a flotation that could value the firm at $25 billion (15.7 billion pounds).

Regardless of whether Google taps the public markets, industry observers expect it to use its powerful search technology to make a concerted push into e-commerce. It has launched a trial version of Froogle, a price-comparison search engine for thrifty shoppers.

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And the Google machine rolls on...

 

...making a fortune in the progress.