Announced this past Wednesday, the web portal Lycos has decided to end its long term relationship with Yahoo! and its Inktomi unit and has further selected to use the search technology of the Internet's favorite butler, Jeeves. As explained by Adam Sciroco of Lycos, a search-relationship with Ask Jeeves would provide Lycos with broader searching solutions than what Yahoo! was currently providing. The decision to switch from Yahoo! to Ask Jeeves came as no shock to me as Jeeves technology is already being used on other Lycos web properties, but I am unsure if I actually agree with it.
It has been reported as to what "searching solutions" Yahoo! was unable to provide, but in my opinion, Lycos just pulled their starting pitcher out of the ninth inning of game 7 of the World Series with 1 out away from a no-hitter. Ok maybe that's a bit extreme, but my point is that Lycos replaced a perfectly good search-relationship for one that remains to be taken seriously and for what?
Don't get me wrong Ask Jeeves has great search tools and resources and currently does a fine job of syndicating its search technologies and advertising products to other websites, including, InfoSpace, BellSouth, Mamma.com and CNET Networks--the parent company of News.com, but in my opinion, and being as though it is the only one that matters on this blog, Jeeves is not on the same playing level as Yahoo! Search is.
Either way, it will be interesting to see what Lycos has in store for their portal, but for now only time will tell on this matter.
Labels: ask, industry-news, yahoo
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