The web search engine launched by online retailer Amazon this week reflects a growing trend towards personalised searching, say experts.
The new service, , is built directly on top of Google鈥檚 internet search engine so that it provides the same basic results.
But A9 adds some unique features. Foremost among these is the ability to log in using an Amazon shopping account. This enables web surfers to use the search engine鈥檚 personalisation features from any computer they use.
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A9 shows users a history of their searching and highlights results that have not appeared in previous searches. It also lets users simultaneously scour Amazon鈥檚 book catalogue along with the web.
And, using a downloaded A9 toolbar for Internet Explorer, users can also tag their own notes to web pages and block popups. All these extras have impressed Chris Sherman, an editor at SearchEngineWatch. 鈥淚 like the idea of personalisation,鈥� he told 快猫短视频.
Tailored recommendations
Sherman notes that Amazon already has considerable experience of personalisation from providing tailored recommendations to shoppers based on their previous purchases and searches.
Amazon鈥檚 use of Google is another example of jostling between the web giants. In December 2003 Google revealed its intention to encroach into Amazon鈥檚 territory by offering the ability to search through the text of books published by a few big companies. Amazon provides a similar function called Search Inside the Book.
A9 was established by Amazon as independent web search company in September 2003 and its service is currently in beta, or testing, phase.
Privacy concerns
Sherman notes that some people may be worried about a retailer recording all their searching habits. 鈥淥f course there are a lot of privacy concerns,鈥� he says. However, he does not see it as a major drawback because 鈥淎mazon has already demonstrated that it values its customer鈥檚 privacy鈥�.
The web鈥檚 leading search engine, Google, has also been the target of privacy concerns over its free email service GMail. Google intends to fund the service by providing advertisements customised according to the content of each user鈥檚 email.
A9 will have to fight for position among an already crowded field of search engines. Google gained its top spot when it launched in 1998 thanks to the smart algorithms behind its pared-down front page that outperformed all its competitors.
But since then, Google has added many new services in an effort to maintain and even extend its dominance. These include picture, news and shopping searches, as well as online diaries, or blogs.