Amazon to Sell Products Via Wireless Devices

A week after moving to offer online shoppers just about anything they could want to buy, Amazon.com is giving customers a chance to place their orders from just about anywhere they go.

Amazon is expected to announce today that it will become one of the first e-commerce companies to sell its products through new wireless devices. The move is timed to coincide with this week’s nationwide release of 3Com Corp.’s new Palm VII, a hand-held computer that will provide wireless Internet access to allow users to read e-mail, shop and browse popular Web sites.

Seattle-based Amazon has become an Internet shopping powerhouse in just a few years, going from selling books to electronics and toys, as well as hosting auctions, in a bid to become a one-stop electronic shopping site.

The company has been unrolling several new initiatives to raise consumer awareness ahead of the holiday shopping season, during which online commerce sales are expected to rise sharply over last year. Amazon’s stock soared last week after it announced its so-called zShops, where almost anyone may sell online for a fee, regardless of product size and quantity or location.

“Amazon’s always been about convenience and selection and taking the friction out of the shopping experience,” Amazon executive Warren Adams said. “We want to make sure you can shop whenever you want, for whatever you want, wherever you are.”

To accomplish its goal, Amazon announced it had acquired Convergence Corp., a software firm specializing in wireless technology, for $23 million in Amazon’s stock. The company developed the software that must be downloaded, initially to the Palm device and later to other wireless devices.