Business Week

How Amazon Opens Up and Cleans Up


By allowing friendly hackers to access its data and feeds, the e-commerce giant is creating a fast-growing ecosystem where buying and selling thrive. When Paul Bausch goes to the bookstore or mall, he brings along his cell phone -- but not to chat with friends about his purchases. Bausch, a programmer and Web developer by trade, has written a simple piece of software that lets him download onto his handset lists of favorite items on Amazon.com. If Bausch wants to check out a cooking gadget before he buys it at a store, he can pull up his wish list and make sure he's looking at the right model. He can also check the store price against Amazon's. Or, he says, "I can click through right on Amazon if I want to have it delivered."