By NZPA
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Friday 7th October 2005 |
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The telco is understood to have been developing the auction website -- code named "Project Sparkys" -- for the past few months, inviting various online retailers and resellers to list their products on the planned site.
Industry speculation suggests the launch, expected on October 17, will be accompanied by and extensive publicity campaign dreamt up by Telecom's advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi.
TradeMe founder and managing director Sam Morgan had not heard of the project, but said he was not fazed by it.
"We're flattered that they're focusing on us, but we'll just let the numbers speak for themselves," he told the weekly business paper.
"We'd just prefer it if they focused their attention on trying to actually get broadband out there, rather than going into markets where they don't really have any capability."
Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung said at the telco's annual meeting yesterday that new technology will play a big part in future earnings, with traditional land line revenue -- domestic and international calls -- now accounting for less than half of annual turnover.
Telecom plans to have 250,000 broadband clients by Christmas.
Telecom announced to the Stock Exchange late last month that it had appointed Ralph Brayham, formerly the telco's general manager new media and business development, to head "Sparkys". It gave no details about what "Sparkys" was.
TradeMe is New Zealand's second most popular website, clocking up nearly two million visitors in September, according to Neilsen/NetRatings figures.
Telecom's Xtra site has the top spot.
Morgan declined to comment on TradeMe's revenue, but said non-vehicle and non-real estate items worth $300-400 million are traded on the site each year. The site facilitates about 300 car sales a day.
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