Yahoo launched its “Build Your Own Search Service (BOSS)“ which essentially allows developers to create a mashup using Yahoo’s APIs and leveraging Yahoo’s search engine with their own assets. WebMonkey, discussed the announcement and noted,
BOSS will allow developers who sign up for a public API key to manipulate rankings and the overall appearance of the search pages, as well as create mashups of the data with other data sources.
Yahoo is obviously feeling the pinch to compete more fiercely with Google for developers. The company is facing a buyout threat from Microsoft, as well as criticism for its over-diversification and concentration on non-search products. In a sense, BOSS signals a move back to the basics for the company, as it zeros in on what was once its strongest product — a better search engine.
There are few restrictions on use of the BOSS API. An unlimited number of queries per day is allowed; there are no restrictions on presentation, reordering is allowed, as is blending of proprietary and Yahoo! Search content . It can also be offered “white-label.”
Examples of search engines that already deploy the BOSS technology are:
Me.dium Search combined the BOSS API with its insight into the real time surfing activity of the crowds to build a unique “Crowd-Powered” social search engine prototype.
Daylife To-Go is a new self-service, hosted publishing platform which nyone can use to automatically generate customizable pages and widgets. Daylife To-Go uses the BOSS API platform to power its Web search module.
Cluuz generates easier to understand search results through patent pending semantic cluster graphs, image extraction, and tag clouds. The Cluuz analysis is performed in real-time on results returned from BOSS API.
Clint Bolton, writing in Google Watch says,
“I’ve been enamored of Yahoo’s Open Strategy since CTO Ari Balogh announced it at Web 2.0 in April.
Unfortunately, it’s probably too late at this stage in the game. Microsoft and breakup investor Carl Icahn have fashioned quite a pincer move on Yahoo.
Icahn in the last few weeks has dangled the Yahoo carrot in front of Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, enough so that the software giant appears interested once again in buying all or some of the company.
Microsoft tried itself to gain Yahoo and failed. Then Icahn entered the picture while Microsoft acted like it didn’t care, and drummed up enough support so that shareholders are calling for the Yahoo board to vanish. Now Microsoft has returned to the table, indicating renewed interest in dealing for Yahoo when and if the current board vacates the company.
My Microsoft Watch colleague Joe Wilcox hinted that Icahn may have contacted Microsoft to persuade it to come back to the table.
I’ll go so far as to say that I’m quite sure Icahn was whispering in Ballmer’s ear all along, fervently invoking the now Gates-less leader to take another crack at Yahoo. Either way, Microsoft can win a bit by taking out a rival or using it to attack the Moby Dick of the Search Ocean.
I’m guessing Icahn and Microsoft will get their wish at the Aug. 1 shareholders’ meeting. I don’t see how the current disenchanted shareholders will let Yahoo continue as it is, particularly in the wake of losing more than 100 talented executives and engineers, and watching the stock wane”.
The GoogleGazer previously reached the same conclusion.
One interesting, obvious, and open question is whether Google will follow Yahoo’s lead, essentially neutralizing Yahoo’s advantage. Google has been actively luring developers, is a leader in supporting Open Source, has recently put “Protocol Buffers” into the public domain as an Open Source high-speed data interchange format, and earlier put huge chucks of its code into the public domain, including Google Gears, as we noted in an earlier post this month. Still it remains to be seen if Google is ready to open up its crown jewels. The GoogleGazer’s prediction: Google will release a comprehensive API that will allow mashups, but only in a fashion that includes monetization (something Yahoo’s initiative presently lacks), and a revenue-sharing arrangement with Google. Remember, you read the prediction here first.
Filed under: Google, Microsoft, Open Source, Search, Yahoo Tagged: | Build Your Own Search Service, Cluuz, Daylife, Google Gears, Google Search, Google Watch, GoogleGazer, Hakiya, Joe Wilcoz, Me.dium, Microsoft Watch, Scott Loganbill, WebMonkey, Yahoo BOSS
