Google Inc. will launch a service on Wednesday that will let Web users publish information online that others will be able to search, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The service, to be called "Google Base," aims to allow people to distribute content such as job listings or recipes online, regardless of whether they have a Web site, the paper said. It is also designed to allow the creators to categorize the postings, which should improve the quality of search results.
Last month, Google said it was testing the service, but would not confirm whether the move was part of a broader push into online shopping to compete with the likes of eBay Inc. or Amazon.com Inc.
Analysts said then that if Google combined the publishing system with its Froogle shopping service and other offerings, it could compete with local classified advertising on sites such as eBay or Craig's List or online shopping at Amazon.com.
Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.
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