Search engine specialist AltaVista Co. Tuesday revealed that it would lend
the latest version of its search engine software Hewlett-Packard Co.’s HP-UX
11.0 operating environment this summer.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the companies said AVSE 3.0 will be the first search
software to support 64-bit architecture. with the bundling of the software
and the OS, customers will be able to quickly index and access information
from multiple sources in hundreds of different file formats.
The search capability will also make it easier for employees to find
important business information and improve sales for e-commerce Web sites by
delivering more relevant search results. The ultimate goal is to speed up
the information gathering process by minimizing any work duplication an
employee might go through.
AVSE 3.0 is also currently available for HP Windows/NT and Linux.
“HP’s focus on leading technology is demonstrated by its support for 64-bit
architecture, which AltaVista pioneered for search technology,” said
Marianna Rogers, vice president of global alliances at AltaVista. “Our
compatibility allows us to effectively address expandability and scalability
requirements of our enterprise and eCommerce implementations.”
AltaVista, whose customers include such e-commerce heavyweights as Ariba
Inc. and Ticketmaster, showed interest in the enterprise sector in June when
it unveiled new software primed to help companies find data in 30 languages
and over 200 file formats. Those two products included AV Enterprise Search,
which appeals to employees inside the corporate firewall by enabling them to
find information wherever it resides within company servers; and AV Personal
Search, a desktop application that provides speedy search results from
content on local hard drives.
While AltaVista is eager to insinuate itself as the search provider for as
many systems as possible, it also chooses to rely on the best in trying to
be the best; last week, AltaVista dumped WorldPages.com in favor of Verizon Information Services’
SuperPages.com to power its online Yellow Pages and People Finder service.
AltaVista’s competitors in search engine technology include the popular Ask Jeeves, Inktomi Corp., and
Yahoo! to name a few.
