I guess I'm wondering why Microsoft Acts FAST and bought Norwegian data-search company Fast Search & Transfer for 6.6 billion Norwegian kroner, or about $1.2 billion.
What is FAST sitting on that would make Microsoft want it so badly?
Anyone have any ideas on this one? I'm curious - and I know what FAST does, but I must be missing something about why Microsoft wanted this company.
I guess Fast owns a good amount of search technology (they have been in this business for a while).
A lot of local and smaller search engines use their technology and try to build their own engine on it (e.g. Accoona.com). I bet Microsoft wants to improve their live search platform as well as sign search deals with other websites. If all the Fast clients out there use the MS Live platform with MS ads (Adcenter), I believe there is a good share of traffic / revenue that could be generated.
Microsoft’s problems are the poor search results and the lack of traffic. This can turn out to be a great deal..even if I am not sure about who will beat Google in search. Powerset, Mahalo, Wikia….seem to be pretty slow so far.
Just wrote about this subject the other day in I wonder what is behind Microsoft's buying of FAST? and now…. Computerworld comes up with THIS POST -Is FAST enterprise search better than Google's? "….During a conference call after …
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