Microsoft’s ‘Fremont’ a Craigslist competitor

TechCrunch has a teaser post up about Microsoft’s code-named ‘Fremont‘ project. This unreleased product will compete directly with Craigslist. Two pieces of evidence:

1) A Chinese blog seems to have snagged some marketing-speak from somewhere:

This product represents a unique offering by Microsoft to address the person-to-person marketplace. The product, code-named “Fremont,” is a dynamic new listing service that enables people to easily buy, sell, or swap among friends, co-workers, or the public. Fremont enhances your ability to:

* Connect with those you trust – your messenger buddies and your coworkers,
* Locate items in your neighborhood or across the country through integration with MapPoint and Windows Live™ Local (formerly Virtual Earth),
* List easily, instantly, and for free.

2) While Microsoft Program Manager Adam Herscher’s post on Froogle Local currently doesn’t say anything about Windows ‘Fremont’, when the post was first published it included this sentence:

I’m also wondering whether this is a market Windows Live Fremont intends to compete in, or if Fremont’s goal is just to be a “Craigslist-killer”.

Oops. Proof again that once you hit ‘publish’ there’s no taking it back. (While it lasts, see Google’s cache for the original post.)

The classifieds market is going to get very interesting with Google and Microsoft both entering the space. But can they overcome the natural goodwill most of us feel for Craig? Either way, sell your newspaper stocks now.