In the annals of internet[1] search engine history, Infoseek holds a significant position. It was initially launched as a paid service in January 1994, before transitioning to Infoseek Search in February 1995. Its popularity soared when it was integrated as the default search engine on Netscape Navigator. In June 1996, the company went public and was listed on Nasdaq at $12 per share. By September 1997, Infoseek boasted 7.3 million monthly users. Post its downfall, its Ultraseek Server software technology was acquired and rebranded as Inktomi Enterprise Search by Inktomi. Currently, the Infoseek brand is not active in North America, but it is still operational in Australia and Japan. The infoseek.com domain now points users to go.com.
Infoseek (also known as the "big yellow") was an American internet search engine founded in 1994 by Steve Kirsch.
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Type of site | Search engine |
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Successor(s) | Go.com |
Area served | Worldwide |
Owner | Disney Interactive |
URL | infoseek |
Commercial | Mixed |
Launched | January 1994 |
Current status | Closed as of 1999 |
Infoseek was originally operated by the Infoseek Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Infoseek was bought by The Walt Disney Company in 1999, and the technology was merged with that of the Disney-acquired Starwave to form the Go.com network.