Ask.com Puts Jeeves Out to Pasture, Sets Eyes on Google

Jeeves, the mascot and butler for the Ask Jeeves search engine, has long been heralded as one of the internet's most popular icons. However, Ask.com has fired its Mascot and re-launched its website with a slim new look.

Ask Jeeves.com started out in 1996, as a site in which users could ask questions of Jeeves, such as "Where can I buy airline tickets online?" and Jeeves would redirect them to specific resources based on the questions asked. Ask Jeeves originally believed that by allowing users to enter their own questions they could simplify the search experience, because users could type in exactly what they wanted to know, without having to guess which key words to enter to get a desired result.

Over time, the questions user began to ask became more complex and users became web savvy enough to know what key words to type in to search engines. Eventually, their original methodology of searches became obsolete and they re-branded them selves as a traditional search engine.

"Today's launch is a pivotal moment in our history, ensuring a well-known and much-loved search engine continues at the forefront of the evolution of the Internet search market," said Jim Lanzone, Ask.com US general manager in a recent BetaNews article.

Ask Jeeves stated in late February that it was re-launching its service as Ask.com The new service features a new sleeker design, fewer advertisements, a web-based desktop search, and various other tools. The company stated in a recent press release, that they wanted to put the focus on their search engine, rather than the mascot of the website.

One of the primary new features is the various tools Ask.com offers on a sidebar on its website. In addition to the tradition web search, Ask.com has added an image and news search. You can also view maps and get driving directions from Ask.com Additionally, the new design features weather, encyclopedic references, and shopping resources. Beyond that, it features a local section, similar to Google's, and its own entry into the desktop search market that Google, Yahoo and MSN have entered in the last few years.

Perhaps one of the most interesting new features available on Ask.com is its "Bloglines" feature, which allows user to view the latest entries from all of their selected writers all into a single page.

"People have been conditioned to think that only one brand equals search, It's time that they realize that Ask is a serious alternative to Google," said Lazone. Some of Ask.com's new features have already helped increase its market share in the United States. A comScore Media Mextrix study found that Ask.com's market share increased from 5.3% at in 2004 to 6.3% in December of 2005.