Winners of the Developers Program's 6th Birthday Presents

Back in November, the eBay Developers Program celebrated eBay's 6th birthday as an open platform by giving away birthday presents to our developer community - the reason for the success of the eBay API platform.

Now that it's after the holidays, we've contacted all the winners and heard more about how they're using eBay Web Services APIs to either improve their tool or grow their own eBay business. Since we are a global developer community supporting a platform for eBay marketplaces around the world, we are pleased that we had our first international developers win prizes, in Germany and the UK.

Congratulations to our all of our winners!

Grand Prize Winner of an Xbox 360^TM game console: UniteU, eBay integration by US developer Jonathan Byrd

• This seller tool provider from Rochester, New York has worked with the eBay API since 2004 to help serious multi-channel retailers increase sales and streamline inventory, customer data and ordering information. eBay seller baby_supermarket added, "The eBay channel introduces my business to shoppers I would not connect with any other way. UniteU integration with eBay is a very important part of my online business strategy."

Six First Place Winners of an iPod^TM (why yes, you're right - that IS one for each year we've been around):

1. isbn.nu, eBay integration by US developer Glenn Fleishman

• This bookseller based in Seattle, Washington started playing around with eBay API after Half.com acquisition. "The API has been a great way to retrieve live results of both auctions and Buy It Now items for quick display to my visitors, who apparently appreciate it--they buy over $100,000 in products from eBay and Half.com each year."

2. Amicron Software, eBay integration by German developer Norman Czarczinski

• This seller tool provider from Paderborn, Germany uses the eBay SDK for .NET to allow small-to-medium sized sellers to list articles and then read the seller transactions to create invoices for sold items

3. Martial Art Education, eBay integration by UK developer Jonathan Oshry

• An eBay affiliate based in London, England, they use the eBay API to find niche products in certain categories, then refine this list according to our specifications. "This enables us to identify niche segments on eBay that may have been overlooked by others. The large volumes of listings on eBay make this process very worthwhile."

4. PacificDVDs, eBay integration by US developer Ning Song

• This eBay PowerSeller selling DVDs out of Irvine, California created their own seller tool based on eBay SDK for .NET to power eBay listings, process eBay orders, and complete sales with feedback for buyers. 2296 feedback (and counting), 100% positive. "Thanks to this highly efficient software, we are able to serve our eBay customers well."

5. getMobile AG, eBay integration by German developer Robert Hartmann

• This mobile phone trading company based in Munich, Germany depends on interfaces like the eBay API to communicate with eBay servers and fetch all their needed data

6. The Ridge, eBay integration by US developer Josh White

• This eBay affiliate is an off-road riding park located in Springville, Alabama specifically catering to motorcycle (dirt bike) and ATV (four-wheeler) riders. The eBay API powers links to listings of Motorcycles and ATVs for sale on eBay from their reviews and classifieds pages on their website.

Signing off with some of the pictures from the 6th birthday party we held here at eBay Park in San Jose for the team of hardworking folks who make our open platform possible.  We never forget here at eBay that it takes a healthy developer ecosystem to raise a 6-year old platform. :-) Thanks everyone for continuing to make the eBay API platform a success!

- Delyn