Collecta appoints Gerry Campbell CEO and prepares first real-time search service to provide continuous updates from the Web
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2009 — Collecta today announced the appointment of search industry veteran Gerry Campbell as CEO to lead product development and launch of its real-time Web search service. Public launch is expected within the next few months.
Collecta is a real-time search service that provides persistent, real-time streams of results via API and a Web destination at Collecta.com. Using a robust XMPP platform to facilitate lightning-fast information flow, Collecta tracks results from Web sites, news stories, blog posts, microblogging updates, social status messages and other focused data sources. Users can manage collections of searches on stories, conversations, and comments with immediate and continuous updates on the topics they care about most.
“The time is right to accelerate Collecta’s efforts to bring the first real-time Web search to market. Attracting someone with Gerry’s product and revenue generation experience is a big win for us,” says co-founder Jack Moffitt, CTO.
“The wealth of information and conversation on the Web is staggering. It gets harder every day to find the commentary, insights and answers you need,” said Gerry Campbell, CEO. “We created Collecta to do the ‘heavy sifting.’ We make it easy for you to stay on top of the topics that matter most, be that your favorite sports team, a new car you’ve been eyeing, or your company. We scan the Web and reach deep into the social media universe to bring you results – in real time.”
Here’s how the first version works:
- Users visit Collecta.com (or Collecta API) and enter a search query.
- Collecta instantly draws relevant items, including news, messages, blog posts, social network status updates, etc. from its information streams.
- Collecta then continues to track these search terms for updates, returning new results instantly to users in an ongoing feed.
“Collecta cuts through the clutter by placing people in the flow of information on their favorite topics and breaking news,” said Jon Callaghan, Managing Partner, True Ventures. “True Ventures is pleased to be working with Gerry and the team to deliver on this essential next step in Web search services.” Last fall True Ventures led a Series A investment in Stanziq Inc., now known as Collecta.
The Collecta search service will roll out in two phases. Initially, it will return results from a sampling of news sites blogs, microblogs and social networks. As the service matures during the coming months it will extend its reach to return results from all corners of the Web.
Collecta’s management team:
Gerry Campbell, CEO, who was previously President of search & content technologies for Reuters, SVP of Search for AOL LLC, and led commerce strategy for AltaVista Company. Most recently, he has been an angel investor and advisor to notable early-stage companies, including Summize (acquired by Twitter), Tweetdeck, StockTwits, Outside.in, OpenCalais and Betaworks. He blogs at LuckyRobot.com.
Jack Moffitt, CTO, is an Open Source technology leader. He has created and assisted in several key efforts and now sits on the XSF Board & Council (XMPP) as well as the Xiph.org Foundation (OGG). He is an active blogger at Metajack.im. A featured panelist at tech conferences worldwide, Jack is also the interim CEO/CTO of Chesspark.com, an online game community built on the same XMPP platform that supports the Collecta Search Service. Jack was CTO of Green Witch Internet Radio, which was acquired by CMGI in 2000.
Derek Powazek, Creative Director, was named one of the top 40 “Industry Influencers” of 2007 by Folio Magazine. Derek is the former Creative Director of both Blogger and Technorati, and also founded JPG Magazine and Fray.com. He has worked the Web since 1995 at pioneering well-known sites, and is the author of “Design for Community: The Art of Connecting Real People in Virtual Places” (New Riders, 2001).
Brian Zisk, Adviser, is a Social Networking pioneer. He has been involved in creating numerous ventures and non-profits, including The SanFran MusicTech Summit, The Future of Music Coalition, Chesspark.com, the Xiph Foundation, SanFranZiskGo!, the Green Witch Internet Radio, and more. He also serves as a key adviser to various other projects, including the MetaBrainz Foundation, Gotuit Media, ClickFacts, Inc., Anti-Bride Productions, and several music/technology startups. Brian speaks at numerous conferences and is quoted extensively in the press.
Contact: Ben Roberts, , (505) 507-5144
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