Lycos, Disney On Buying Sprees
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"Yippeee, there's a better Yahoo!," is how Lycos Inc. CEO Bob Davis set the tone in a conference call with reporters Thursday. In the 30-minute session, he explained why the No. 2 search company has acquired WiseWire Corp., a developer of intelligent agent technology that automatically learns users' interests.
Saying Yahoo! has virtually had the business of cataloging and categorizing the Net to itself, Davis predicted the almost $39.75-million, all-stock deal for WiseWire will soon give Lycos, "the most organized, relevant and continuously up-to-date directory on the Web."
The solution, Davis said, is technology developed by WiseWire which let computers graze across the Web, mine it for data, and automatically filter and organize the information. "Imagine the Clinton sex scandal happened this afternoon," said Davis. "Within 30 minutes, we'd have a deep directory of it."
Lycos said the acquisition is also the start of a 100-day-long roll-out of new products and features. While not giving details, he said some of the new features will include the "integration of Usenet (newsgroups)" into the site's directory.
Davis expanded on comments made earlier this week about Lycos' future. At the Hambrecht & Quist technology conference, he said his company will soon start an Internet access and online service, similar to that launched by Yahoo! and MCI Communications. A report from ZDNet said Lycos's partner in the service will be AT&T's Worldnet.
But in response to questioning today by CBS MarketWatch, Davis declined to comment. He did say Lycos is no longer in talks to provide search directory services for Netscape's Netcenter Web site. "We continue to have discussions with them about other things," he added.
Disney Buys Remaining Shares Of Starwave
Walt Disney Co. has exercised its option to acquire Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen's remaining interest in Starwave, Disney chairman Michael Eisner said late Thursday. The move completes what Disney started in April 1997, when it made an initial investment in Starwave. Details of the transaction weren't released.
The companies forged two joint ventures to produce ABCNEWS.com and ESPN SportsZone, top-ranking news and sports Web sites. Starwave and the joint ventures will now become part of Buena Vista Internet Group, which is responsible for the company's Internet initiatives.
"The addition of Starwave's demonstrated talents, expertise and technological resources strengthens our ability to reach more people everywhere through a medium already powerful though still in its infancy," Eisner said. "It positions us to take advantage of the Internet's potential."
E-Merchants Merchandise Mothers' Day
There was a time when even the idea of advertising and commerce on the Internet was controversial. Now, just about a week from Mother's Day, the World Wid Web looks like any shopping mall.
Barnes and Noble.com is offering mini rose plants plus the book, Chicken Soup for Mother's Soul. Garden.com has a contest to send a lucky mother to the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Search engine company InfoSeek is offering an entire so-called "channel" for Mother's Day, featuring a selection of gifts including gourmet food, a video camera or jewelry. Maybe the Internet's Mother's Day mania is too complicated. New Jersey's Opinion Research company said it's real simple: 70 percent of mothers would be happy to just get flowers.
At Home Goes Traveling
At Home Network, the high-speed online distribution company, is taking its business plan to the Netherlands and Belgium. Through joint ventures with Dutch cable operators CasTel and Palet Kabelcom, they will form At Home Netherlands to develop a version of the cable-infrastructure delivered Internet service.
The service will offer some elements of At Home's content and Dutch and European news, information and entertainment. Palet and CasTel have agreed to make the service available to their 1.4 million households, representing more than 20 percent of Dutch households. At Home chairman Tom Jermoluk said, "With increasing consumer demand, high disposable income and high usage based telephone charges for dial-up access, Europe is a promising market for high-speed cable Internet services."
AOL Invests In School Web Company
America Online has made an investment to acquire a reported 20 percent of the FamilyEducation Co., developer of free customized Web sites for schools. AOL president Bob Pittman called the deal "a critical part of our educational strategy."
FamilyEducation will also become a resource on AOL. The companies said their partnership will work to "accelerate the development of an interactive network of extended school communities that link parents and teachers." In 12 months, 337 school districts -- representing a total of 2,855 schools -- have signed onto FamilyEducation's Web site offer designed to support parent-teacher communications, group discussions of school policies and programs, and offer updates on school activities, schedules and lunch menus.
LA Times, CitySearch Venture Launches
An joint effort between the Los Angeles Times and CitySearch has gone onto the Web: a resource for arts, entertainment and recreation information in Southern California. CalendarLive.com (www.calendarlive.com) includes information from several dozen contributors in the area. Features include e-mail notices of favorite performers' appearances and new menu items from restaurants, and online ticket purchasing for entertainment events.
By Frank Barnako, CBS MarketWatch