The see-saw battle in site search technology

The site search market remains highly competitive. On the day that Mercado Software Inc. announced that TowerRecords.com, which formerly used Endeca Technologies Inc.’s site search software, had signed as a client, Endeca announced that it had landed IBM.com as a client.

Mercado reported that Tower Records had installed its Commerce Search & Navigation product at the start of the holiday shopping season and included a comment from Kevin Ertell, senior vice president of online operations at Tower Records, attributing higher customer satisfaction and increased sales to the Mercado Software.

"Mercado`s CSN had a major impact on our holiday sales success at TowerRecords.com. We are very pleased with the 12% boost in sales revenue and 8% increase in customer satisfaction we experienced after implementing CSN," Ertell said in Mercado’s press release. "Our customers vary in their preference for either searching or browsing, so it was critical to choose a solution that was superior in both navigation methods. CSN`s fast, accurate search and browse allow us to provide the best possible shopping experience at TowerRecords.com, resulting in increased sales."

While Mercado highlighted Tower Records, it also reported that Sears, Roebuck and Co. deployed its technology at Sears.com just before the 2003 holiday season; JC Penney Co. Inc. has selected Mercado for its online search; and that Williams-Sonoma Inc. plans to deploy the Commerce Search & Navigation later this year on its Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBTeen and West Elm web sites.

"CSN`s deployment at major retailers and other leading companies has been a great success," said Menachem Cohen, CEO of Mercado Software Inc. "We are pleased CSN`s next-generation technology is being quickly adopted by the market."

Endeca reports that IBM.com will deploy Endeca’s InFront search and guided navigation product. "Signing a customer of the caliber and prestige of IBM is testament to the proven track record of Endeca Search and Guided Navigation and the ability of Endeca InFront to propel the online catalog to new levels of expectation for finding and discovering products online," said Jim Baum, president and COO of Endeca, in that company’s announcement of the win. "The deployment of Guided Navigation in IBM’s online store provides an excellent showcase for the power of our platform and its ability to deliver real results for both the company and customer."