Netscape cries Yahoo in search for partner

Web browser company links up with Yahoo to improve Communicator as competition hots up between search engine firms

Netscape has joined forces with search engine pioneer Yahoo in an attempt to improve the search capabilities of its Communicator Web browser.

The move comes at a time of growing competition between search engine companies ? Yahoo?s rivals Excite and Infoseek have both announced plans to differentiate their offerings in the market.

Netscape will offer an internet directory to customers using its browser or hitting its home page. Based on a Yahoo navigation service, the directory will showcase popular sites on the Web.

Yahoo is believed to be paying Netscape up to $30 million over the next two years to set up the co-branded guide. The directory, which should be ready in July, will offer users information on eight areas of reference including business, finance, computers and travel.

Meanwhile, Infoseek and Excite have also been enhancing their offerings and diversifying their business models in the fight for survival.

Infoseek stepped into the software business last week with the launch of Ultraseek, a packaged version of the Infoseek engine optimised for intranets. It will sell for $995 for a server version and is targeted at large companies requiring better search functions for their intranets or public Web sites.

Excite will roll out 14 channels during the next few weeks, beginning with popular channel topics such as arts and entertainment, sports, business and investing, and computing and the internet.

Although the initial content for each channel will come from existing Excite content including Live!, Citynet, Webcrawler, Chat and Newstracker, the company hopes to attract other content providers which will provide more specialised information.