Barry Diller's IAC To Buy Ask Jeeves

[rustybrick]

Wall Street Journal Article, Diller Nears Purchase of Ask Jeeves (http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB111136320151184666-IVjgINmlaR4op2nZHqIbaWBm4,00.html).

Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp last night was near a deal to purchase the fifth-largest Web-search service, Ask Jeeves Inc., for around $2 billion in stock, according to people familiar with the matter, marking an aggressive move by the e-commerce company into the Internet's most competitive arena.

The deal, which could be announced as early as today, would be the latest in a long run of Internet deal making for Mr. Diller, IAC chairman and chief executive. Over the last decade, Mr. Diller has built a wide-ranging Internet vehicle that includes everything from the travel Web site Expedia and the TV channel Home Shopping Network to the online dating service Match.com. His entry amid a pitched battle between Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. to provide search services promises to roil the fast-growing sector.

This can be huge for Ask Jeeves. First I am hearing about this...

[Webvisitor]

Diller is very smart. He will move quickly to place all of his properties front and center throughout the Jeeves networks. Great move and he got it cheap! I really thought Time-Warner would buy Ask for AOL.

[Frank Kilkelly]

This will be a crucial buy because this type of commodity i.e. large search related properties, are becoming increasingly rare and I personally don't see an acquisition as large as this being topped anytime soon. And the media tie-in possibilities for Ask are huge, it being a very informal and fun search engine. That's what will attract people. I can see a lot of people using Ask for all their entertainment and product searching needs.

[Nacho]

I think the only question that comes to my mind is, can Barry Diller or any other millionare mogul make this search engine gaine enough market share to make Ask/Teoma be part of a group that could be called "the Big 4" rather than the biggest from "search engines: other"?

Gosh, there are so many of us that want to see this company grow. I really wish someone can do it.

Till then, it will continue to be a group referred as "the big 3" in the search engine world.

[Corey Creed]

Gosh, there are so many of us that want to see this company grow. I really wish someone can do it.

I agree. I remember going to SES a couple years ago and being very impressed with everyone from Ask Jeeves. It isn't just the search engine, it's the people. They just seem to have their act together, but just have never got the market share of searches compared to "the big 3".

Do others feel this way, too?

[Nacho]

Do others feel this way, too?
Yes! People like Paul Gardi (http://sp.ask.com/docs/about/manage_senior.html#gardi), Jim Lanzone and many more.... it is a big asset.

[GOTseo]

The best feature imo on askjeeves is the related search feature. I don't know if they have a patent on it, but thats my favorite part of the engine.

InterActiveCorp has agreed to a $1.85 billion buyout of Ask Jeeves, a search engine that has long been overshadowed by Google and Yahoo.


I'll put money on it that they will have a 20% share within 2 years.

[andrewgoodman]

The best feature imo on askjeeves is the related search feature. I don't know if they have a patent on it, but thats my favorite part of the engine.




I'll put money on it that they will have a 20% share within 2 years.

You're on!

[Nacho]

Let's make that an open poll in a new thread: Will Ask Jeves/Teoma have a +20% share within 2 years? (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=4834)