Jajah does for eBay what Skype was supposed to do

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 18:36

Your IT - Home IT

Jajah, the provider of 'web-activated telephony' has launched Jajah Buttons customised for eBay to enable buyers and sellers to speak to each other.

With Jajah's  'web-activated telephony' you go to the web, put in your PSTN or mobile phone number, the number you want to call and Jajah sets up the call. The company says: "the actual call is not different to any other normal phone conversation, only significantly cheaper." It claims "can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet and works with any phone, landline or cellular: http://www.jajah.com.

For eBay, users can now place a  Jajah button into their eBay marketplace, eBay Stores and eBay Motors auction and allow bidders to call them before they buy and pay, whilst keeping contact details completely private. The service connects both parties phone-to-phone and does not require any special hardware or software, according to Jajah.

"Jajah adds an unprecedented element to the popular auction site by connecting eBay sellers and their prospective clients phone-to-phone. Unlike other Internet calling solutions, Jajah Buttons secure the merchants privacy and require no download, no headset, no broadband and work on every phone," it says. A guide on setting up a Button is available at http://www.jajahbuttons.com/jajah_button_how_to.html

When eBay bought Skype in 2005 one of the synergies it foresaw was that: "Buyers will gain an easy way to talk to sellers quickly and get the information they need to buy, and sellers can more easily build relationships with customers and close sales. As a result, Skype can increase the velocity of trade on eBay, especially in categories that require more involved communications such as used cars, business and industrial equipment, and high-end collectibles."

eBay has just reduced its valuation of Skye by $US1.3 billion , by reducing earn-out payments to Skype shareholders set up as part of the acquisition agreement.