According to reports in the US, Amazon.com is working to
develop web search technology that will compete against the likes
of Google and Yahoo when it comes to directing consumers to
merchandise online.
The internet retail company has set up a subsidiary called A9 to
develop the search technology and is recruiting a host of software
engineers, according to a report in the online edition of The Wall
Street Journal.
In addition to creating and using the search service, Amazon
also plans to market the A9 technology to other sites.
A spokeswoman for Amazon UK could not confirm the report,
however, and said that she "had no idea" if it was true or not.
Only representatives in Amazon's Seattle headquarters would be able
to verify the story.
Amazon's purported foray into the e-commerce search service
market comes on the heels of similar moves made by rivals such as
Google, with its Froogle service, and Yahoo with its new product
search, launched earlier this week.
The search services offer large advertising opportunities for
the companies, in addition to helping direct consumers to their
products.
According to the report, Amazon has interviewed candidates for
about 30 positions at A9 in recent weeks and several staff have
been hired with the expectation of starting work on the new
technology next month.
Scarlett Pruitt writes for IDG News Service