Alibaba integrates ecommerce and social networking services

On Wednesday, Alibaba, Chinese B2B e-commerce group, unveiled its plans to implement a newly-developed product "Ren Mai Tong" integrating e-commerce and the social networking service functions in a move to provide an online community for business people.  
Additionally to providing with online gaming interactive functions, new service is also focusing on the business networking activities to ensure better business relations.

"Ren Mai Tong" functions include business card production, friends' business cards holder, latest news, and customer news aggregation.

New product chief engineer Lin Kai considers that in case two parties reach an agreement on the website, they can realize online trading with Alibaba's online payment platform Alipay.

Two days earlier Alipay.com announced about the collaboration with Japanese department store operator Marui OIOI.

It’s supposed that that shopping Web site under the control of Marui OIOI will enter the Chinese market through the access to the service of Alipay. In order to attract more Chinese customers Marui OIOI shopping site intends start a string of promotions to Alipay's registered users. Thus, are to be users exempted from freights and presented with gifts when they go shopping on the Chinese site of Marui OIOI.