TOP SEARCH ENGINES:
Google - has rapidly become one of the top search engines, mainly as a result of providing relevant results quickly, by using a system called PageRank, Google filters a large portion of the irrelevant results. Google currently lists
over 3.5 billion pages in its database. Today, through its partnerships with major players, including Yahoo and AOL, Google powers over 80% of all searches performed internationally.2400 Bayshore Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, Phone: (650) 330-0100
Fax: (650) 618-1499
Alta Vista - launched in 1995, AltaVista created the first multi-lingual search capability on the Internet and is the first search technology to support foreign languages via its translator Babel Fish. Alta Vista is still one of the top search engines with over 500 million pages indexed and more than 40 million queries a day. AltaVista was acquired by Overture early in 2003.
AltaVista Company 1070 Arastradero Road Palo Alto, CA 94304 Ph :650-320-7700 Fax: 650-320-7720
Fast / All the Web - established in 1997in Oslo, Norway. It is currently one of the largest and fastest growing databases on the web with a particular bias towards multimedia.
Fast / All The Web was acquired by Overture early in 2003.P.O. Box 1677 Vika NO-0120 Oslo Norway Tel: +47 21 60 12 00 Fax: +47 21 60 12 01
Inktomi is a trusted partner for many of the world's leading technology companies, it is the power behind the search box found on the world's top portal sites such as AOL, MSN, Overture (formerly GoTo) iWon, HotBot, NBCi and many others, reaching more than 80% of the internet population. Inktomi was acquired by Yahoo early in 2003.
4100 East 3rd Avenue, Foster City, CA 94404, Tel 650.653.2800, Fax 650.653.2801
Lycos - there are standard search results, and categorized directory listings. Lycos has acquired HotBot making it one of the major players.
Lycos makes use of the Fast/All The Web database for its results.400-2 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA 02451, Ph: 781-370-2700, Fax 781-370-3415
Hotbot - launched in 1996, HotBot was originally owned by Wired Magazine, but has more recently been purchased by Lycos. Search results are served by FAST/AllTheWeb.com, Google, Inktomi and Teoma making HotBot a powerful meta search facility.
660 Third Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94117, Ph: 415-276-8400, Fax: 415-276-8599
Microsoft - Useful and comprehensive search facility from the Microsoft network, also makes use of results from Overture, LookSmart and Inktomi.
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, Tel: 425 882 8080, Fax: 206 703 2641
America Online - Founded in 1985, AOL is a world leading interactive service, with more than 29 million members around the globe. The AOL search facility is powered primarily by Google.
22000 AOL Way, Dulles, VA 20166, Tel: 703 265 4670
5858 Horton Street, Suite 350, Emeryville, CA 94608, Tel: 510-555-1212
Overture is the world's leading Pay Per Click Internet search provider, the company was created in 1997. Overture's search results are distributed to thousands of sites across the Internet, including Yahoo!, MSN, America Online, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos/HotBot, and many others. Advertisers pay Overture the amount of their bid only when a consumer clicks on their listing, providing them with one of the most cost effective ways to drive targeted customer leads to their sites. In 2003 Overture went on the acquisition trail, buying first AltaVista and then Fast / All The Web in quick succession. In July 2003, Overture was acquired by Yahoo.
74 North Pasadena Avenue, 3rd Floor, Pasadena, CA 91103, Tel: 1-888-811-4686 (Toll free in the US) or (626) 685-5600, Fax: (626) 685-5601
DIRECTORIES:
Yahoo - one of the oldest directory services on the net, Yahoo went live online in August of 1994. Yahoo was at one time THE favourite of everyone on the net. It is extremely difficult to obtain a listing however, with only around 4% of all submitted sites entering the database, the company was one of the first (along with LookSmart) to introduce paid submissions.
3420 Central Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95051 Phone (408) 731-3300 Fax (408) 731-3301
LookSmart - currently lists over 2 million sites in its directory database and provides directory listings for AltaVista, HotBot, Microsoft and over 1000 internet access sellers (ISP's).
Recently LookSmart changed from charging a once off listing fee, similar to that charged by Yahoo, to charging its customers 15c every time somebody clicks on their link. They are currently facing a lawsuit in California for breach of contract.625 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, Tel: 415-348-7000, Fax: 415-348-7050
501 East Middlefield Rd Mountain View, CA 94043, Tel: 650 937 3216
SOUTH AFRICAN SEARCH ENGINES:
Ananzi -
first created it in early 1996, making it the first South African search engine. In June 2000 it was re-engineered to make it one of the fastest search engines on the Internet. Ananzi currently indexes over 200 000 web pages within Southern Africa. Alongside the search engine, Ananzi's SA Site Directory is a hand-picked category-based list of the best sites South Africa has to offer.7 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg,
2196, Tel: 011 280-0860, Fax: 011 280-0880
Aardvark - named after the uniquely African search animal known for its ability to sniff out tiny ants in large ant heaps? Aardvark was brought on-line by Intekom in February 1997 and uses Google technology for its global search facility, unfortunately the results are not always reliable, with a large number of irrelevant results being returned.
159 Proes Street, Annex Building, Pretoria, 0001, Phone: 082 569-1357, Fax: 012 323-4470
Search Cape Town - recently established search engine for the Cape Town and Western Cape region. Quick response and relevant results make this a most useful local search facility.
10 Sable Street, Goedemoed, Durbanville
Search Gauteng - another recently established search engine for the Gauteng (Johannesburg - Pretoria ) region. A user friendly, uncluttered search page hides a powerful regional search engine.
Suite 109, Newlands Plaza, Newlands, Pretoria, Phone: 012 348 5320, Fax: 012 361 5576
© 2003 - Search Maestros - Ph: +27 82 552 5540
