Thursday, 13 Octorber 2011

Digital marketplace eBay will integrate image recognition capabilities into future version of its mobile applications, enabling consumers to snap photos of items they wish to purchase and then match the image with products for sale across the eBay platform.

Speaking to reporters at eBay's X.commerce conference in San Francisco, the company's CEO John Donahue said the enhanced eBay apps will roll out by year's end. Donahue added that eBay has not yet finalized which of its multiple mobile apps will add image recognition tools--nor is it clear if the service will encompass all products for sale on eBay or focus on fashion, accessories and related merchandise.

Earlier this week, eBay head of mobile business operations and development Steve Yankovich tells TechCrunch the company is on track to process around $4 billion in mobile-enabled sales in 2011, double the number reported a year ago. Consumers have now downloaded eBay's applications for platforms including Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone more than 50 million times, with the eBay Marketplace app alone yielding 20 million downloads. Users now make three eBay purchases via mobile device every second--in addition, eBay sellers now list more than 700,000 new items per week using mobile services.