AltaVista's Many Milestones
Reproduced with kind permission from AltaVista:
August 2000
AltaVista's RagingSearch.com launches "RagingSearch Unplugged", the world's largest wireless web index.
July 2000
AltaVista launches AltaVista.in, its Indian site.
May 2000
AltaVista launches RagingSearch.com, the Web's new "Search Pure" site providing the web community with the fastest, most relevant results and easiest to use Search site.
April 2000
AltaVista launches AltaVista.it, its Italian site.
February 2000
Altavista launches AltaVista.fr, its French site and AltaVista.nl, its Dutch site.
February 2000
AltaVista launches new Image, Audio, and Video search centres, creating the most extensive multimedia library on the Web to date.
December 1999
AltaVista launches AltaVista.co.uk, its UK site.
October 1999
AltaVista launches AltaVista.se, its Swedish site.
October 1999
AltaVista unveils dramatic new media and commerce network of services: AltaVista Search, the Web's most powerful and comprehensive guide to the Web; AltaVista Live!, the Internet's first real time personal megaportal; AltaVista Shopping.com, an objective Web-wide comparision-shopping guide.
August 1999
CMGI, Inc. acquires majority ownership in AltaVista from Compaq Computer Corporation, which retains the remaining minority stake in AltaVista.
First leading Internet brand to provide nationwide dial-up free Internet access service; signs up 500,000 U.S users within first three months - an unprecedented Internet offering.
June 1999
AltaVista sets new strategy with introduction of robust services for Web-savvy users:
Enhances AltaVista Search, offering the Internet's first Web index freshness guarantee and new multimedia search capabilities (www.altavista.com)
Innovates with AltaVista microportal, the world's first microportal, a personalised desktop window to premier AltaVista services (www.microav.com)
Redesigns AltaVista's Shopping.com by adding seven superstores within the first Ultrastore concept to provide users with a new, ultra-satisfying online shopping experience and the Internet's first 125 percent satisfaction guarantee (www.shopping.com)
Expands AltaVista Local Portals with 40 new local web sites.
May 1999
Shopping.com introduces Internet's first 125% satisfaction guarantee.
April 1999
Compaq acquires publicly held Zip2, the leading provider of Internet platform solutions for media companies and local e-commerce merchants.
March 1999
Compaq acquires publicly-held Shopping.com, a leading online retailer of products and services.
AltaVista launches AltaVista.de, its German site; AltaVista unveils new multimedia search technology.
January 1999
AltaVista Company becomes wholly owned subsidiary of Compaq Computer Corporation; Names Rod Schrock as president and CEO.
June 1998
Compaq Computer Corporation acquires AltaVista (via Digital Equipment Corporation acquisition); AltaVista chosen as the primary default search engine for Compaq Presario desktop PCs.
May 1998
AltaVista provides first ever Chinese, Japanese and Korean users with a single Web search tool.
February 1998
AltaVista achieves record traffic and substantial ad revenue growth.
June 1997
AltaVista provides first multilingual search capabilities on the Internet.
February 1997
AltaVista introduces breakthrough Internet search technology.
December 1995
Digital Equipment Corporation's Research Laboratory develops first searchable full-text database of the World Wide Web.
Historical Overview of AltaVista
AltaVista was started in 1995 at Digital Equipment Corporation's Palo Alto research lab where three employees came up with the idea of utilising Digital's newly launched Alpha 8400 computer (known as the TurboLaser) to host a searchable full-text database of the Web.
A researcher at the lab had created an e-mail index which could track bulletin board conversations over the past ten years. The very precise system was capable of finding specific bits of information in the data stored, and was used by researchers to settle technical debates. The full-text search framework became the basis of AlaVista. The name of the comapany is said to have come from a half-cleaned blackboard with the word 'Vista' still visible, to which was added 'Alto'. This became AltaVista, "the view from above".
Combining a broad range of internet services, including international and regional web indexes with cutting edge search technology, AltaVista was the first internet brand to provide a nationwide free dial up access service in the US, signing up 50,000 users within the first three months. Today the AltaVista Network is a vast international network of sites in over 20 countries.
They became the first multi-lingual search engine with the launch of Babel Fish in 1997, the web's first translation service to offer words, phrases and entire sites online in several languages. They also launched Photo Finder, an image search technology.
In January 1999 they were bought by Compaq, who also took over Shopping.com in March of the same year. By August, 83% of the stock was bought from Compaq by CMGI, Inc. and Shopping.com and Zip2 became a wholly owned subsidiary.
AltaVista have also added customisable features to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5
In January 2003 AltaVista went on the market again. This time it was Overture who announced plans to acquire AltaVista. The two have long been affiliate partners and the acquisition will see AltaVista continue to display Overture's paid search results to its users as well as index-based AltaVista Pay-for-Inclusion (PFI) results.
With AltaVista's algorithmic search technology, Overture can now go after complete search deals, instead of just offering paid listings. This would follow the lead of Google, which has sought to parlay its standing as the top search technology into a top spot in the paid listing space. After entering the paid-search market last April, Google quickly established itself as a rival by luring away Overture partners EarthLink, Ask Jeeves and AOL.
Further details of the acquisition are to be finalised before April 2003.
Source:http://siliconvalley.internet.com / news / article.php / 1587171
AltaVista latest news UK:
http://uk.altavista.com / footer / pressroom?t=2
AltaVista latest news US:
http://www.altavista.com / sites / about / press_welcome
UPDATE
February 2003 Overture to acquire AltaVista
In a deal worth $140 Million, with $60 million to be paid in cash and $80 million in stock, Overture seems to be upping the stakes in search engine leadership.
AltaVista has long been one of Overture's top affiliate partners, and the acquisition will see
AltaVista continue to display Overture's paid search results to its users, as well as index-based AltaVista Pay-for-Inclusion (PFI) results.
Further details of the acquisition is to be finalised over the coming months.
Overture Acquisition of Altavista Complete
April 2003
Overture announces its second acquisition this month. With FAST and AltaVista under its belt - the trio are set to become the most powerful search capability on the net.
This article was first published on 02 May 2003 and does not necessarily match current events or the current opinions and views of bigmouthmedia ltd.
