By: E&P Staff MSN launched an open beta version of its free classified site,
Windows Live Expo, on Tuesday. The site includes social networking and community features.
"We've been watching our own Microsoft internal marketplace service for the past couple of years and we were inspired by employee behaviors," said Garry Wiseman, product unit manager for Windows Live Expo, in a statement. "Regardless of the transaction, we noticed that trust and convenience are the key factors to closing a deal."
Windows Live Expo groups products and services by zip code so users can search in a radius as small as 25 miles from where they are, or as wide as the entire country. The classified site is integrated with MSN's satellite-image-based Windows Live Local so users can view maps and aerial imagery and instant messaging so people can close deals faster.
People can personalize the site by viewing listings by e-mail groups and specific contacts.
According to Microsoft, in a closed beta test in the Puget Sound area in Washington, more than 25% of employees used the service, listing more than 3,000 items.
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