SYDNEY and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 16, 2006 -- Endeca, a next-generation search and information access company, today announced that CarPoint Australia has selected and deployed the Endeca for Directories solution, built on the Endeca Information Access Platform, to increase targeted advertising opportunities and help its customers more easily find and compare desirable cars online. CarPoint, one of Australia's leading automotive classifieds sites, reported an immediate 20 percent increase in page views per visitor and highly positive customer feedback following the successful deployment of the Endeca solution. As a result, CarPoint, which generates revenue based on advertising, realized a corresponding 20 percent increase in additional ad inventory. In a related announcement, Endeca today announced the expansion of its Asia-Pacific presence with the opening of new Australian operations, headquartered in Sydney.
CarPoint's purchase of the Endeca software was completed by former owner Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (ASX: PBL). In October 2005, CarPoint and other PBL classifieds properties were purchased by the online classifieds business of Carsales.com.au Limited.
CarPoint is the first Australian site to offer Endeca's trademark Guided Navigation® experience, which combines the two most common means of finding information online -- search and browse -- into a seamless, interactive experience. For example, a search for used Honda Civics, yields 316 matching vehicles and then provides the shopper with a range of possible ways to compare, explore or refine the list -- Location, Series, Price Range, Age, Year, Odometer, Transmission, Fuel Type, etc. With each selection or step, all of the possible next steps are recalculated on the fly to ensure that shoppers are shown only the valid options and never hit a dead end. For example, by selecting "VIC" as location and then choosing "less than 50,000 kilometers" from the Odometer options, the shopper is presented with only the 19 matching vehicles advertised.
Like many directory sites, CarPoint generates revenue based on classified advertising sold to local dealers and individuals, and display advertising to manufacturers and corporate clients. Revenue potential is therefore impacted by the amount of ad inventory available, based on total site page views. The site also competes for mindshare and traffic with two primary competitors -- both of whom were viewed as having more advanced, user-friendly features and functionality.
"With Endeca we now offer a user experience unmatched by our competitors -- customer feedback indicates that our visitors love the new features," said Wayne George, CIO of Carsales and former director of IT at CarPoint. "Not only are people more easily finding desirable cars, they are also discovering new, favorable ways to compare options, read reviews and understand valuations. This has contributed to a 20 percent increase in page views per session in one month -- a significant increase in comparison to the historical growth of the CarPoint site."
CarPoint will roll out additional Endeca features and functionality as part of planned site upgrades in the near future. These will include Endeca's unique Content Spotlighting capabilities, which serve up contextually relevant promotions along side search and browse results sets (e.g. value-added content, banners, etc.) based on the unique user and session. As a result, CarPoint will be able to offer additional sponsorship opportunities to its advertisers, thus creating new complementary revenue streams.
The Endeca for Directories solution is built on the Endeca Information Access Platform (IAP) -- a new platform designed to help people find, analyze and understand information in ways not possible with search engine, database and business intelligence solutions. Part of a suite Market Solutions available on this platform, the Endeca for Directories solution includes pre-packages capabilities and best-practices services expertise to helps users find the job, home, car, business, or person that they're looking for more efficiently, and helps advertisers reach their audience more effectively -- all resulting in increased revenue from subscriptions, advertising and license fees. Learn more about Endeca for Directories and the Endeca Information Access Platform.
"CarPoint's results -- both quantitative and qualitative -- illustrate why so many businesses are embracing a new generation of information access technologies over traditional search engines or database approaches," said Steve Papa, founder and chairman of Endeca. "Through a single move to more advanced technology, CarPoint can simultaneously make it much simpler and faster for customers to find what they are looking for, while offering an experience that encourages greater exploration and content consumption."
About CarPoint
CarPoint is one of Australia's largest automotive Web sites, and attracts several hundred thousand visitors every month looking for new & used cars, car reviews & editorial, car valuation information and much, much more. CarPoint also offers users simple, easy and cost effective options to sell their cars, both online and in partnership with some of Australia's leading automotive magazines. CarPoint can be accessed at http://carpoint.com.au.
About Endeca
Endeca is a next-generation search and information access company.
Combining patented intellectual property, breakthrough science and
a deep focus on user experience, the Endeca Information Access
Platform helps people find, analyze and understand information in
ways never before possible. Leading global organizations like ABN
AMRO, Bank of America, Boeing, Costco, Cox Newspapers, The (US)
Defense Intelligence Agency, The Home Depot, Hyatt, IBM, John
Deere, Lehman Brothers, The Library of Congress, Texas Instruments,
and Walmart.com rely on Endeca to power business-critical
applications that increase revenue, reduce costs and streamline
operations.
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Endeca is a private company with operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information: www.endeca.com or info@endeca.com.