Ask.com Wins A 2008 PC World 25 Most Innovative Products Award

Ask.com Interface

Ask.com was honored by PC World, the most widely-read computer or business magazine, with a 2008 PC World 25 Most Innovative Products Award for its search engine and Ask3D redesign, launched in June 2007.

The 2008 PC World 25 Most Innovative Products Award winners were announced on December 28, 2007 ( http://www.pcworld.com ) and will be presented with trophies on January 7, 2008 at the ShowStoppers media reception at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas during International CES. The article will also be featured in the February 2008 issue of PC World.

The PC World 25 Most Innovative Products Awards honor 25 trend-setting products that have emerged with the convergence of technology and consumer electronics. The winning products all possess unique qualities that break the boundaries of the computer and consumer electronics worlds with envelope-pushing design and function while also setting the standard for innovation.

According to PC World, Ask.com "melds comprehensive search results more coherently than competing universal searches do ... a venerable search engine company can do cool new stuff."

The award announcement notes that Ask3D represents a "thoughtfully designed interface, including search suggestions as you type. With one query you can retrieve traditional search results as well as news, images, blogs, video, and more. Once you've searched, you can filter the results with useful suggestions to home in on just what you were looking for. The site is visually minimalist, but you can skin it for a new look. If privacy is a concern, AskEraser wipes away private data that search engines typically store."

On December 11, 2007, Ask.com announced the launch of AskEraser -- the first online product to give consumers privacy control of their online searches by completely deleting all future search queries and associated cookie information from Ask.com servers.

The 2008 PC World 25 Most Innovative Products Awards recognize both benchmark and breakthrough products that set the standard for innovation with unique qualities that distinguish them from the pack. PC World's editors compared hundreds of products before narrowing the field to the 25 winners. Other companies besides Ask.com who are award winners include: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, HP, Microsoft, Netgear, Samsung, Toshiba, and Yamaha.

"These are among the most inventive and trend-setting products available, breaking the traditional boundaries while pushing the limits of technology," stated Harry McCracken, VP/editor-in-chief of PC World. "These winners help define industry standards and raise the bar for creativity in the future. Congratulations to Ask.com."

On June 5, 2007, Ask3D was unveiled -- a completely re-engineered and redesigned version of Ask.com. Ask3D includes powerful new search technology, an innovative three-panel design, and unique new features that give people what they need, faster. With the new version of Ask.com, people get the most relevant and customized information they need from the best range of content available, including videos and music clips, and makes it all immediately accessible on one page.

A leading search engine on the Web, Ask.com combines world-class search technology with one-of-a-kind search tools to help people get what they are looking for faster. Ask.com sites include Ask.com US ( http://www.Ask.com ), Ask.com Deutschland, Ask.com Espana, Ask.com France, Ask.com Italia, Ask.com Japan, Ask.com Nederland and Ask.com UK. Additionally, Ask.com syndicates its search technology and advertising units to a network of affiliate partners. Ask.com is a division of IAC Search & Media, a wholly-owned business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI).

PC World is the most widely-read computer or business magazine among all purchase influencers, with a readership of over 4.8 million (IntelliQuest CIMS Spring 2006: Total unduplicated, combined Average Issue Audience: Business, Home, and Dual Studies). The winner of more editorial awards than any other computer publication, including the 2005 Maggie Award for Best Computer Magazine, PC World is targeted to meet the informational needs of Tech-Savvy Managers, both at work and at home. With its monthly Reviews and Rankings backed by the PC World Test Center, news, how-to articles, features, and special reports, PC World helps managers plan, buy, use, and integrate the technologies that keep them and their companies ahead of the competition.

SOURCE: Ask.com