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Powerset has Google in its sights
12-05-2008
by Emmet Ryan

A new search engine modelled around information found in Wikipedia has been launched in beta by Powerset.

The Silicon Valley start-up firm's search technology is designed to make it easier to find specific information when searching. The system breaks down the meaning of words and sentences entered by users and finds relevant information by searching the pages of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

Instead of having to always type in the exact words they want to find, users can adapt their search entries to find information. Users can enter phrases like 'actors in Pulp Fiction' or ask questions such as 'How many wives did Henry VIII have?' to find detailed answers, rather than links that require further research.

Google's model provides links relating to locations with information on topics, while Powerset's list of results includes both links and specific answers to the search term. This means users can access information faster, without having to search on the linked page for their answer.

The new search engine, available at www.powerset.com, essentially provides users with more variety in how they search and offers a different way of delivering results. Powerset aims to provide an alternative to established search engines' current models, which typically provide links to pages related to keyword searches. The much-monitored start-up has attracted a lot of interest from potential suitors and has been labelled by some observers as a major threat to Google's market dominance.

Don't believe the hype, however. This is no Google killer. Just like other recent purported challengers to the search king, like the image-based Pixsta, Powerset developers are playing a smart game by targeting the biggest dog in the yard.

The nature of the information provided by these new types of search tools may be different, but that by no means makes them a better product. Essentially the new models offer an alternative means of finding the same information; the challenge is to make users consider this alternative a superior model.

And even if Powerset's system proves to be a more effective means of finding data, the new search kid on the block has another obstacle in its way that will prove most difficult to overcome: the established norm. While Google's style of keywords might not be the most natural means of inputting data for users, it is a method that has become familiar, and that is a wall Powerset will find difficult to tear down.

Quality of information is another concern. With Wikipedia providing the source for all information found through Powerset, users may be prone to finding inaccurate information posted on the online encyclopaedia.

The arrival of this new search engine will be welcomed by a sizeable chunk of internet users, and it certainly brings a new flavour to the market. Whether this will be enough to shift the bulk of web surfers to a new form of searching remains to be seen.