| Remember Lycos, the search offspring dot-com | | | | |
| bubble poster child CMG Information Services, | | | | Here the Lycos chief just oversteps his |
| Inc? Well, Lycos is still around, quiet, but | | | | jurisdiction of authority. He is in no more |
| still around after changing hands a few | | | | of a position than I am to say that European |
| times. Now Christopher Mohn, heir to the | | | | biotechnology suffers because of a lack of |
| Bertelsmann media empire and chief executive | | | | major European search engine. Search, for |
| of Lycos Europe, says his company will be the | | | | all its utility, does not replace smarts or |
| Airbus of the Internet. That specific | | | | science and never will. Search functions as |
| allusion means that Lycos Europe will compete | | | | an integral cyber service, Mr. Mohn should |
| with the big American Internet companies the | | | | know this. European biotech, and nano-tech, |
| way Airbus competes with Boeing and not | | | | too, will sink or swim regardless of what |
| thatwell, I hope thats what he meant. | | | | search engines are used. Indeed, their |
| Unclear comparisons are unbecoming of search | | | | technology is more concentrated and advanced |
| executives we need the straight story, not | | | | than search anyway. The unnamed |
| wishful thinking. | | | | Internet-media conglomerates Mohn hints at |
| | | | principally sort and deliver content |
| Although is a small-to-medium sized company | | | | available on the web to end-users. |
| and not a household name, we are on the | | | | |
| Internet, multi-lingual and doing business | | | | That the American pool is uniform is good for |
| all over the globe. And this means were | | | | the American companies; that the growth of |
| exposed to our share of European companies | | | | the American companies is organic and not |
| especially in the UK and Sweden. Until I | | | | state sponsored is better. Mohn bolsters the |
| read Mr. Mohns comments, I never gave it much | | | | French and German governmentally supported |
| thought to how or why there isnt a European | | | | plans to build a European search engine |
| presence among the huge names in search. | | | | called Quaero by saying it will succeed |
| Sure there are some big software companies, | | | | through coordination. Really? |
| but no Yahoo or Google, or Baidu even. I | | | | |
| believe, but cant state with absolute | | | | Ventures dont come more capitalistic than the |
| certainty, that a multilingual Europe is at | | | | ones we see on the Internet. Bureaucratic |
| least part of the reason that a Euro search | | | | search will not work. The fact that it would |
| engine hasnt risen to international | | | | be jointly run only firms my conviction. Its |
| prominence. The search industry is in many | | | | not like France and Germany have a history of |
| respects a numbers grab. The goal of the | | | | playing nice together. And, without the |
| search engine is to create value by indexing | | | | pressure to succeed in the open marketplace |
| more and doing so better. | | | | like private corporations, they havent got a |
| | | | chance. Instead of answering to shareholders |
| And its because of the search engines | | | | this Quaero will answer to the electorate of |
| prolific nature, one where index snowballs, | | | | not one country, but two. |
| that a search giant hasnt emerged from the | | | | |
| EU. The Euro block is linguistically | | | | Lycos Europe has plans to enter the US |
| fragmented with sections of the Internet in | | | | market. I cant envision how an unprofitable |
| French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, et | | | | European company will make a dent in the |
| al. The lack of unification keeps a search | | | | North American search market. Many industry |
| engine from materializing. | | | | wags look askew at Microsoft for introducing |
| | | | AdCenter. Microsoft, with its billions and |
| To get a visual, just type in this url: and | | | | its presence, is an underdog of sorts in |
| see how the interactive world is divided into | | | | taking on Google and Yahoo. Will Microsoft |
| languages. Europe holds plenty of pieces to | | | | make it? Its executive plan is to pay to |
| this linguistic jigsaw puzzle. These | | | | find out. Meanwhile Lycos, most recently in |
| divisions explain why the EU has no | | | | self-congratulatory throes for losing less |
| representative search engine to show for | | | | money per quarter than in recent years, has |
| itself. In North America, were largely an | | | | designs on US search. Is this really a smart |
| English speaking block. Even Australia has | | | | decision? |
| had more success in generating unified search | | | | |
| engines. When language isnt a barrier | | | | This isnt to say that I dont welcome Lycos or |
| communication breakthroughs flourish. | | | | that those interested in search shouldnt. In |
| | | | fact, Id love to see more companies enter and |
| Without addressing specifically why Europe | | | | win in the search game, but Lycos Europe, |
| lacks a definitive search engine Mohn | | | | like their cousins Quaero, seem to be |
| acknowledged the absence thereof by saying, | | | | ignoring some pretty basic forces of search. |
| So far, we have not built up a sizeable | | | | Namely that in this nascent search engine |
| Internet company in Europe. Its not good for | | | | business gross numbers are needed from the |
| the European Union. Nano-technology, | | | | outset and the players in the field either |
| biotechnology and the Internet are the growth | | | | have built them organically or are willing to |
| industries, but in most of these the position | | | | pay billions to compete. Best of luck to Mr. |
| is not good for Europe. | | | | |