Showing posts with label Search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Search. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
AIIM startet Umfrage zur Auffindbarkeit/Findability
Vor wenigen Tagen hat Microsoft den Kauf des Such-Experten FAST Search & Transfer für 840 Millionen Euro abgeschlossen und zuvor auch noch ein milliardenschweres Übernahmeangebot an Yahoo! abgegeben. Auch wenn dieses kürzlich zurückgezogen wurde, die Fakten bleiben bestehen: Der Markt für Online-Suche ist aus gutem Grund interessanter denn je: Jeglicher Content ist nutzlos, wenn keiner ihn finden und darauf zugreifen kann. Aus diesem Grund führt die AIIM Market Intelligence, eine Geschäftseinheit des internationalen Anwender-Fachverbands AIIM Europe - the ECM Association, eine Marktumfrage zum Status Quo im Bereich Suchen und Finden von Informationen durch.
Monday, February 04, 2008
FT.com / In depth - Google weighs in against Microsoft
FT.com / In depth - Google weighs in against Microsoft
Google weighs in against Microsoft
By Richard Waters in San Francisco and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: February 3 2008 19:54 | Last updated: February 4 2008 03:17
Google raised a red flag over Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover offer for Yahoo, on Sunday arguing it could open the way for the software developer to extend its PC monopoly to the internet.
The intervention is the latest example of the growing enmity between the two companies and echoes Microsoft’s denunciation of Google’s proposed acquisition of online advertising company DoubleClick.
While Microsoft claimed that deal could give Google inordinate power to control online advertisements as they become the lifeblood of many internet companies, Google believes Microsoft would be in a position to influence the evolution of the web itself.
However, Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the internet.”
Microsoft has not ruled out launching a proxy fight for control of Yahoo by 13 March, the last date it can nominate its own directors to the company’s board ahead of this year’s shareholders’ meeting.
Separately, an alliance with Google is being seen inside Yahoo as one of the main options as the company tries to fight off Microsoft’s unsolicited approach, according to one person familiar with its thinking.
Yahoo rejected the idea of a tie-up with Google last year but has now put it back at the top of its list of options, along with finding ways to realise more of the value from its stakes in Japanese and Chinese joint ventures, according to this person.
The possibility of an alliance between the two internet groups adds to the intrigue surrounding the tussle between Google and Microsoft, and could raise questions about Google’s motivations in publicly attacking Microsoft now.
In a posting on Google’s company blog, David Drummond, its top lawyer, said: “While the internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies – and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.”
He went on to question whether a Yahoo acquisition would allow Microsoft, “despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offences, to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet”.
Google swung the spotlight on to the “overwhelming” share of the web e-mail and instant messaging markets that Microsoft and Yahoo account for, plus the fact that they own two of the busiest web portals.
“Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ e-mail, IM, and web-based services?” Mr Drummond asked.
Meanwhile, a Google-Yahoo alliance, something discussed but not pursued last year, would enable Google to halt Microsoft’s latest bid to boost its standing on the web.
The idea was receiving serious consideration again this weekend as Yahoo looked at a wider range of options, according to a person close to the company.
Microsoft’s cash-and-stock offer for Yahoo was worth $43bn at the end of last week.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Google weighs in against Microsoft
By Richard Waters in San Francisco and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: February 3 2008 19:54 | Last updated: February 4 2008 03:17
Google raised a red flag over Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover offer for Yahoo, on Sunday arguing it could open the way for the software developer to extend its PC monopoly to the internet.
The intervention is the latest example of the growing enmity between the two companies and echoes Microsoft’s denunciation of Google’s proposed acquisition of online advertising company DoubleClick.
While Microsoft claimed that deal could give Google inordinate power to control online advertisements as they become the lifeblood of many internet companies, Google believes Microsoft would be in a position to influence the evolution of the web itself.
However, Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the internet.”
Microsoft has not ruled out launching a proxy fight for control of Yahoo by 13 March, the last date it can nominate its own directors to the company’s board ahead of this year’s shareholders’ meeting.
Separately, an alliance with Google is being seen inside Yahoo as one of the main options as the company tries to fight off Microsoft’s unsolicited approach, according to one person familiar with its thinking.
Yahoo rejected the idea of a tie-up with Google last year but has now put it back at the top of its list of options, along with finding ways to realise more of the value from its stakes in Japanese and Chinese joint ventures, according to this person.
The possibility of an alliance between the two internet groups adds to the intrigue surrounding the tussle between Google and Microsoft, and could raise questions about Google’s motivations in publicly attacking Microsoft now.
In a posting on Google’s company blog, David Drummond, its top lawyer, said: “While the internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies – and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.”
He went on to question whether a Yahoo acquisition would allow Microsoft, “despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offences, to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet”.
Google swung the spotlight on to the “overwhelming” share of the web e-mail and instant messaging markets that Microsoft and Yahoo account for, plus the fact that they own two of the busiest web portals.
“Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ e-mail, IM, and web-based services?” Mr Drummond asked.
Meanwhile, a Google-Yahoo alliance, something discussed but not pursued last year, would enable Google to halt Microsoft’s latest bid to boost its standing on the web.
The idea was receiving serious consideration again this weekend as Yahoo looked at a wider range of options, according to a person close to the company.
Microsoft’s cash-and-stock offer for Yahoo was worth $43bn at the end of last week.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
By Maija Palmer, IT Correspondent
Published: April 25 2007 08:20 | Last updated: April 25 2007 08:20
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, on Wednesday announced plans to demerge and float its consumer division, with allows people to search internet TV and video clips.
The consumer division will be renamed Blinkx, and listed on London’s AIM exchange for growth stocks in May. Autonomy will retain around 10 per cent of the shares following the float.
The company is considering issuing new shares at the time of the float to provide funding for the new business, which is expected to be initially lossmaking.
Blinkx is looking to create an advertising-funded business, along the lines of the Google business model.
Autonomy creates software that can search unstructured information, such as emails and pictures. It is used by a hundreds of large companies to track and organise corporate data.
Autonomy has struggled to enter the consumer market, however. It launched a consumer internet search technology in 2000 but was dwarfed by rival search engines such as Yahoo and Google, and quietly withdrew the product.
In 2005 the company re-entered the consumer sector, when it began a joint venture with China Netcom, the telecommunications operator, called OpenV, to provide a internet video search for Chinese consumers.
Mike Lynch, chief executive, has always maintained that Autonomy’s search technology is ideally suited to help consumers search internet television, video clips and other online entertainment, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
Unlike Google and Yahoo’s search engines, Autonomy’s technology does not rely on text and keywords, but uses mathematical formulae to detect patterns in any type of information, including pictures and sounds. The technology is used by the BBC, for example, to search and organise its archives.
The demerger of the consumer business is a complex transaction, in which Autonomy will first take ownership of Blinkx, a separate company founded by Autonomy’s former US chief technology officer, Suranga Chandratillake, which already uses Autonomy’s consumer search technology. In exchange Blinkx will be given exclusive rights to the technology, everywhere outside China. Then the Blinkx business will be demerged again and floated.
Autonomy shareholders will be given shares in Blinkx in lieu of a dividend, which the company has do date never paid.
The Chinese OpenV joint venture will not be part of the Blinkx group, and will maintain exclusive rights to the technology in China.
The news of the demerger came as Autonomy announced record first quarter results, which saw adjusted pre-tax profits nearly doubled to $19.5m from$10.3m in the same period last year.
Revenues for the first quarter rose 17 per cent from $56.1m to $65.5m, thanks to new corporate customer wins, including SFR and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and increasing adoption of the software by technology partners such as IBM, Oracle and Symantec, who are integrating it into their own products and services.
Earnings per share increased to 7 cents from 4 cents last time.
Shares in Autonomy, which have increased 37 per cent in value since the start of the year, rose nearly 9 per cent to 760p in early trade.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
By Maija Palmer, IT Correspondent
Published: April 25 2007 08:20 | Last updated: April 25 2007 08:20
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, on Wednesday announced plans to demerge and float its consumer division, with allows people to search internet TV and video clips.
The consumer division will be renamed Blinkx, and listed on London’s AIM exchange for growth stocks in May. Autonomy will retain around 10 per cent of the shares following the float.
The company is considering issuing new shares at the time of the float to provide funding for the new business, which is expected to be initially lossmaking.
Blinkx is looking to create an advertising-funded business, along the lines of the Google business model.
Autonomy creates software that can search unstructured information, such as emails and pictures. It is used by a hundreds of large companies to track and organise corporate data.
Autonomy has struggled to enter the consumer market, however. It launched a consumer internet search technology in 2000 but was dwarfed by rival search engines such as Yahoo and Google, and quietly withdrew the product.
In 2005 the company re-entered the consumer sector, when it began a joint venture with China Netcom, the telecommunications operator, called OpenV, to provide a internet video search for Chinese consumers.
Mike Lynch, chief executive, has always maintained that Autonomy’s search technology is ideally suited to help consumers search internet television, video clips and other online entertainment, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
Unlike Google and Yahoo’s search engines, Autonomy’s technology does not rely on text and keywords, but uses mathematical formulae to detect patterns in any type of information, including pictures and sounds. The technology is used by the BBC, for example, to search and organise its archives.
The demerger of the consumer business is a complex transaction, in which Autonomy will first take ownership of Blinkx, a separate company founded by Autonomy’s former US chief technology officer, Suranga Chandratillake, which already uses Autonomy’s consumer search technology. In exchange Blinkx will be given exclusive rights to the technology, everywhere outside China. Then the Blinkx business will be demerged again and floated.
Autonomy shareholders will be given shares in Blinkx in lieu of a dividend, which the company has do date never paid.
The Chinese OpenV joint venture will not be part of the Blinkx group, and will maintain exclusive rights to the technology in China.
The news of the demerger came as Autonomy announced record first quarter results, which saw adjusted pre-tax profits nearly doubled to $19.5m from$10.3m in the same period last year.
Revenues for the first quarter rose 17 per cent from $56.1m to $65.5m, thanks to new corporate customer wins, including SFR and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and increasing adoption of the software by technology partners such as IBM, Oracle and Symantec, who are integrating it into their own products and services.
Earnings per share increased to 7 cents from 4 cents last time.
Shares in Autonomy, which have increased 37 per cent in value since the start of the year, rose nearly 9 per cent to 760p in early trade.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
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