IBM teams up with Yahoo on search
Two technology giants pit themselves firmly against rivals in both internet and intranet search sector.
IBM and Yahoo Have gone head to head with Google and Microsoft by jointly launching free enterprise search software.
The web search services are powered by Yahoo, which allows firms to find, access and capitalise on information stored within their own company and across the internet.
IBM OmniFind Yahoo! Edition (OYE) is aimed at the entry-level enterprise search market, and is free to download. The front end will look similar to an existing Yahoo search.
“Together, IBM and Yahoo! are delivering on the promise of making information easier to find, use and share while providing a better search experience for users,” said Eckart Walther, vice president of product management for Yahoo! Search. “This is a valuable tool for helping organisations improve employee productivity by enabling them to more quickly find needed information. By empowering customers and partners to quickly find information on the Web, we're also able to reduce their support costs.”
Analysts have been quick to claim that the move by the two firms could shake up the search market.
Mike Davis, analyst at Ovum, said: We believe that this could be highly disruptive in the enterprise search space. This product is significant on two fronts. The first is that it shows a greater willingness by IBM to write simple-to-install software.
Secondly, the team that developed OYE recognised that a familiar user experience is a strong reason for selection of a software product. A key selling point for the GSA is the use of the same search interface as used on the Google.com web site. By partnering with Yahoo! IBM has taken exactly the same approach providing a tried, tested and refined interface.
“Of course there is no such thing as free lunch. This is just a free starter. IBM will offer 24x7 support at $1,999 per server per year. But in another challenge to Google, the point of contact is by telephone to a real person in a support centre, rather than by email.”