Ask.com To Power Lycos Search & Search Ads

Reuters reports that Ask.com has reached a deal with Lycos to power their search engine and search ads. Lycos is the 5th “most popular U.S. Web portal.” Ask.com will provide Web search, image search, zoom search and ppc ads for the Lycos Network.

Postscript: Just got the press release, posted below…

Postscript 2: It looks like Ask.com ousted Microsoft’s spot with Lycos.

Ask.com Selected to Power LYCOS Network Search

Multi-Year Agreement Calls for Ask.com to Provide Search and Advertising Across the LYCOS Network

OAKLAND, Calif. and WALTHAM, Mass.– November 1, 2006 – Ask.com, a wholly-owned business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) and LYCOS, Inc.(www.lycos.com), a leading web portal, today announced a multi-year agreement whereby Ask.com will be the search and sponsored listings provider for the LYCOS Network, including LYCOS.com, Hotbot.com, Tripod.com and Angelfire.com. Under the terms of the agreement, Ask.com will provide branded algorithmic search, including Web Search, Image Search, and Zoom Related Search, as well as the Ask Sponsored Listings advertising product across the LYCOS Network. LYCOS is the fifth most popular portal in the U.S., consistently ranked as a top 20 U.S. Web property, with more than 6 million monthly unique visitors using LYCOS Network Search. In addition, LYCOS will transition its current sponsored listings advertisers currently using its pay-per-click platform, InSite AdBuyer, to Ask Sponsored Listings, and will promote the Ask.com PPC product to advertisers throughout the LYCOS Network.

“We selected Ask.com over other providers because of its great search technology and tools like Zoom related search, which cannot be found on other engines,” said Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer, LYCOS, Inc. “By partnering with Ask.com, we aim to deliver a world-class search experience to our millions of LYCOS users.”

“Ask.com has worked very hard to develop one of a kind search technology and search features that help users get the information they want more quickly,” said Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com. “With stiff competition in the marketplace for syndication deals, we are pleased that LYCOS recognized the merits of our search technology and advertising products. This new relationship will enable Ask.com to broaden its search offering to new users while also increasing the reach of Ask Sponsored Listings inventory.”

Under the agreement, Ask.com will provide the following:

· Web Search – Delivers highly relevant search results through its ExpertRank proprietary algorithmic search technology, which ranks results based on popularity within topic communities on the Web, rather than mere link popularity.
· Image Search – Combines Ask.com’s proprietary index of pictures with ExpertRank and patent-pending image search technologies to deliver dramatically improved relevance and quality of search results. Ask.com Image Search has been touted by some as best of class for searching the Image Web.
· Zoom Related Search – Offers conceptually-related suggestions to narrow or expand a search query. Zoom related search is placed on the right side of the search results page where most search engines place advertisements. No other search engine has the ability to offer conceptually-related suggestions.
· Ask Sponsored Listings (ASL) Search Advertising – Provides highly relevant keyword-targeted, pay-per-click advertising. Advertisers bid for placement through Ask.com’s automated open-auction system that also allows marketers to manage and optimize campaigns on Ask.com and its publisher network. ASL sources more than 5 billion queries each month, and supports over 10,000 advertisers bidding on more than 10 million keywords.
About Ask.com

A leading search engine on the Web, Ask.com combines world-class search technology with one-of-a-kind search tools to help people get what they are looking for faster. Ask.com sites include Ask.com US (www.Ask.com), Ask.com Deutschland, Ask.com Espana, Ask.com France, Ask.com Italia, Ask.com Japan, Ask.com Nederlands and Ask.com UK. Additionally, Ask.com syndicates its search technology and advertising units to a network of affiliate partners. Ask.com is a division of IAC Search & Media, a wholly-owned business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). Ask.com b-roll footage is available at www.thenewsmarket.com/ask.

About LYCOS, Inc.
LYCOS, Inc. (www.lycos.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daum Communications Corp., a leading Internet portal and e-commerce destination in Korea with a growing presence throughout the Asian markets. LYCOS, Inc. creates and operates search, community and technology lifestyle sites including LYCOS.com, Hotbot.com, Tripod.com and Angelfire.com. Other LYCOS products and sites include LYCOS Mail, LYCOS Phone, LYCOS Entertainment, LYCOS Music, LYCOS Games, LYCOS Planet, and GetRelevant. LYCOS was acquired by Korean Daum Communications Corp. in October 2004 and has its U.S. headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. Daum Communications Corp. is traded on the KOSDAQ: 035720, www.daum.net.

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