EBay builds new division to attract developers

Ebay Inc is building a new division to woo developers and attract more merchants as the company tries to emulate the success of Apple Inc's iOS platform in the e-commerce world. Ebay's main business is still its giant online marketplaces, which bring shoppers and sellers together. The company's other big division is the payment business PayPal and it acquired GSI Commerce earlier this year to add a third division. But a fourth business has emerged in recent months called X.commerce. X.commerce is trying to persuade outside developers to create applications, or apps, for merchants looking to sell more online. "The idea is to indirectly monetise eBay's main assets PayPal, GSI and Marketplaces," said Matthew Mengerink, the eBay veteran who runs the new division.