22nd April 2008 6:11 pm Rambler.ru

Russia search engine Rambler today announces the launch of the beta version of its new hybrid search engine, available at http://beta.rambler.ru. The Beta testing process will allow Rambler and its users to assess and enhance the new service before it replaces the current search system on its homepage.

The launch of Rambler’s new hybrid search engine is part of the company’s strategy to focus on the three areas that matter the most to internet users: search, communication and news. It is the first of several new products to be rolled out by Rambler in 2008 and successfully combines universal horizontal search capabilities with a specialized vertical structure.

From today, Rambler users can benefit from the new extended search capabilities which allow them to search simultaneously not only the internet, but also on vertical information sites such as news, price comparison and product review sites, weather forecasts, job vacancies, maps, and horoscopes as well as Wikipedia and Afisha.

By making its search engine more open and structured, Rambler offers users a higher level of relevancy and completeness in search results, which means that they will find what they want to find more quickly.

The key idea behind Rambler’s new search engine is meta-relevance. When a search request is made, Rambler’s new search system automatically determines the sphere of the user’s enquiry and presents structured links to the most relevant search results in specialized information sources as well as traditional internet search results.

In other words, the user gets comprehensive, localized, up-to-date information faster than with other search engines.
New features of Rambler’s hybrid search include the most relevant images to illustrate search results. Product research carried out in consumer focus groups has demonstrated that users respond better to graphic results than just text results on their own.

In addition, the new search system is closely integrated with Rambler’s catalogue Top 100, which is one of Russia’s most popular online navigation systems, now allowing users to search through multiple categories simultaneously.

Arkady Moreynis, Rambler’s Chief Product Officer said: “Faced with the ever growing volume of information on the internet, search engines around the world have to take on new challenges in the way they present relevant results to their users.

It is vital for Rambler to keep abreast of the latest technological developments. Then we can create the products that our users want most and will therefore bring more traffic to Rambler.ru. Our new search engine is an example of just that kind of thinking.

In the coming months, we plan to add further thematic sections and we will improve the underlying mathematical models which calculate relevance.

This means that users will, in the future, get even better results, even faster. Our intention with the beta testing process
is to involve our users more closely in product development. Rambler Search will become a platform that showcases Rambler’s new products and technologies and invites feedback and user testing”.

Mark Opzoomer, Chief Executive Officer of Rambler Media commented: “We are delighted to announce the beta launch of our new search engine. It further demonstrates that we are delivering results in line with our strategy to be open and to provide users with a gateway to the internet that responds to their needs through innovative products.

We want to make Rambler Russia’s favourite home page and search is obviously a key element of that which will bring users to Rambler every day. We will continue to enhance users’ experience as we launch more new products and services in the coming months.”

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