MSNBC.com begins today its test of the MSNBC Newsbot Beta, personalized online search powered by the MSN search technology. It will search for news from more than 4,800 sources.
MSNBC Newsbot, which can be seen at http://newsbot.msnbc.msn.com/, is launching in Beta form so MSNBC.com can better understand the user experience. The Associated Press is assisting in the testing of Newsbot.
“The alliance between MSN and MSNBC.com offers an unmatched opportunity to provide consumers with the news that matters to them most — organized by their interests in real time,” said Charlie Tillinghast, general manager and publisher of MSNBC.com. “We want our users to be able to have a one-stop shop for their information-gathering needs, and MSNBC.com Newsbot provides them with unlimited access in their quest for that information.”
Newsbot delivers headlines in seven different categories of news and information, and offers consumers suggested news stories based on what they have read previously. It also provides readers with recommended links to the hottest news stories at any given hour. Specific features include the following:
- Around the-clock crawling by Moreover Technologies from all major news areas
- News headlines will be put into seven distinct categories – US News, world news, sports, entertainment, business, science and health, and technology
- Access to complete article by clicking on the link to the publisher’s site
“We’ve put the strongest assets of MSN and NBC News to work for consumers with MSNBC.com Newsbot, the only news search engine on the Web that offers personalized news using advanced MSN Search technology,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of MSN Information Services and Merchant Platform. “By providing a variety of ways to personalize the service, people have more control over how and where they get their news, which we’re confident will convince people to return every day, much as they would to a neighborhood newsstand.”
MSN attracts more than 350 million unique users worldwide per month.
Jeremy Muncy is a staff writer for www.murdok.org
