Misc SEO News
New Open Source Search Engine
ThreadWatch points out Sentensa, a previously commercial search engine developed by Virtual Genetics Laboratory AB, now open sourced.
Sentensa, has used 20 years experience in search technology to create the next generation search motor. Users have the ability to use totally new ways of searching amongst very large text databases. The name Sentensa was chosen in order to describe how that it takes into account search text’s underlying significance to find the most relevant search results. Searches become much faster and effective, which make Sentensa applicable in many different markets, from the pharmaceutical industry to media and general document handling. Users can, with help from Sentensa, create advanced applications for searching in all kinds of text, which can be used by many users at the same time
The code is released under the GPL license, which means the source code of anything built up on the engine must be made publically available. Though they do offer an alternative commercial license at a price, for any companies who wish to keep their product(s) close sourced.
Also worth noting, the engine is programmed in Java, giving the advantage of being portable across many environments. But, with speed considered a integral part of making usable search engine applicaions, Java's reputation of being slow (in comparison to the likes of C, and C++, favoured among the Google and other big players) may actually turn off some potenial enterprise users.