Elance is a resource that provides opportunities for freelancers as well as companies looking to hire freelancers. Today it announced the launch of Groups to assist with grouping freelancers with specialized talents and certifications.

According to the release, participating companies set criteria for group members including skill tests and certifications. Participating companies include: Microsoft, PayPal, Facebook, Yahoo!, Zoho, CVSDude, Central Desktop, ooVoo, ConceptShare, Dimdim, Drop.io, ProtoShare, Adobe, Palm, Sun, American Express, Salesforce.com and more.

“Elance’s professional community of individuals and teams who work online have a tremendous breadth and depth of expertise. We are committed to connecting companies with experts who have the demonstrated skills and qualifications to get the job done,” said Elance CMO, Brad Porteus in the announcement.

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