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November 18, 2004
Ask Jeeves to launch desktop-search feature
Ask Jeeves plans to launch a desktop-search feature in December, a company representative said.
Desktop search has become the latest battleground among leading search players, with Google, Microsoft's MSN division and Yahoo all working on products. But if desktop search catches on among users, it's unclear how it would affect the webmasters and marketers vying for top rankings.
While Emeryville, Calif.-based Ask Jeeves hasn't provided many details, its product appears likely to follow the approach of other Web search engines by combining hard-drive results, such as from e-mails and files, with its core Web results.
"It's going to be an inclusive thing, and we hope to incorporate the whole experience," said Michael Palka, director of product management at Ask Jeeves.
Signs of Ask Jeeves' desktop plans surfaced earlier this year when it acquired desktop-search startup Tukaroo Inc.
During the launch in September of the MyJeeves personalized search service, an Ask Jeeves executive told eWEEK.com that desktop search would be out by the end of the year and would include integration with MyJeeves.
Among major Web search engines, it will join Google Inc., which already released its desktop search beta, and Microsoft Corp., whose MSN division has slated a beta of desktop search for December.
Google Desktop Search delivers both local and Web results within its Web interface. Meanwhile, an internal beta of MSN's product leaked onto the Web this week focuses on returning different types of results depending on where a user is working within Windows.
Also in the wings is Yahoo. Its chief executive, Terry Semel, said in a financial analyst conference earlier this month that the Sunnyvale, Calif., company is working on desktop search, but he offered few details on its plans.
Source: eWeek
Posted by seomasters at November 18, 2004 03:27 PM | TrackBack