Integrating personalised web services like this onto the desktpop is certainly one of the ways forward with search, but I'm less than convinced by the initial results delivered by Blinkx following a query.

A search on "e-consultancy", for example, doesn't return a top result for this particular website, and "ashley friedlein" is only found on six web pages (none of which point this way), compared with almost 5,000 on Google. Early days, for sure, but results are the key to a good search engine.

The product is still in beta and improvements in its search technology will no doubt be made as Blinkx is rolled out. But it isn't going to be an easy task, as Danny Sullivan's recent study on MSN's latest efforts prove. If the biggest of the big finds it tricky, then we can assume Blinkx will too.

But Blinkx does have this great differentiator in the ability to search for files and emails, while Danny's initial comments about Microsoft's latest search was that it seemed to be 'more of the same', only not as good as Google, Yahoo or Ask Jeeves, or in fact, Gigablast.com, a one-man operation.

No matter how impressive the tools on offer, by my reckoning the key to a search engine's success is all about the relevancy of results delivered following a query.

Will be very interesting over the next couple of years to see how things unfold, particularly with personalisation, localisation and desktop services like Blinkx being rolled out.

To read what Danny's had to say about Microsoft's latest search efforts, visit:
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3376041

c.

On 08:21:53 16 July 2004 DaveChaffey wrote:
>Blinkx is getting a lot of media coverage right now, but
>in case you missed it I recommend trying it out while its
>still in beta.
>
>It is one of a number of new search tools that also
>monitor which documents / e-mail you are accessing to
>enable searches of personal information too. Uses an
>approach similar to that orginally developed by Autonomy.
>
>This is where Google are going with their Gmail
>initiative, but Blinkx have got there first and have
>generated a huge amount of interest despite only being in
>Beta.
>
>So far, I have found this tool most useful as a way of
>finding information stored on my hard disk rather than a
>new search tool. It dramatically reduces the need to go
>through the hundreds of folders on my disk using File
>Explorer - just search and find the document.
>
>Read more at -
>
>Blinkx
>http://www.blinkx.com
>
>Guardian interview with founder:
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1260983,00.h-
>tml
>
>BBC - general on new approaches to search:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3777755.stm
>
>Dave Chaffey
>============
>Internet Marketing trainer, consultant and author
>eResources and Books: www.marketing-online.co.uk
>Blog: www.davechaffey.com

For a good desktop search tool, I can personally recommend Six Degrees by Creo.
http://www.creo.com/global/products/software_solutions/creative/six_degrees
Unlike Blinx, it's cross platform too.