Thunderstone Attacks `Invisible Web' With First JavaScript Link Crawler

Business Wire, July 30, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2002

The industry's first search product to index JavaScript hyperlinks and JavaScript dynamic content was announced by Thunderstone Software. The new capability is bundled with Thunderstone's Texis search software, and is available immediately.

The need to index JavaScript links has become a serious challenge on the Internet. More and more web designers use JavaScript not only to add interactivity to web pages, but for basic site navigation as well. As JavaScript usage has become more mainstream, sites have grown increasingly dependent on JavaScript-enabled browsers. But since search engines cannot "see" JavaScript links, search-engine users are missing valuable content -- often without knowing it.

Neither the major web-search sites, nor specialized search products, currently collect JavaScript links for indexing. "JavaScript links are part of the 'invisible web' that most search engines miss," said John Turnbull, Thunderstone's general manager. "Making that information searchable may be especially important on corporate networks or portals."

Many organizations need to run large intra-net search engines, aggregating content from a variety of internal sources. "They may run an internal crawler and not even know they're missing all those pages linked by JavaScript." Turnbull said. "We've seen that occur, for example, at companies using Lotus's QuickPlace product, which creates collaboration sites navigable mainly by JavaScript links."

Thunderstone's support of JavaScript link indexing reinforces Texis as the most comprehensive and versatile search software on the market. Texis also provides a broad range of other data discovery and indexing techniques. That includes indexing 'deep' information such as database content and newswire feeds, or even results from other search engines, all of which may be continually changing.

Thunderstone is offering a free trial of the JavaScript link crawler through Oct. 30. The feature is included with Thunderstone's Webinator web-site indexing product. Anyone who administers a web site may download a full working copy via the link on Thunderstone's home page, at http://www.thunderstone.com/ .

ABOUT THUNDERSTONE

Thunderstone Software LLC is the premier provider of text-search technology integrated with SQL relational database functionality. Applications include publishing, catalogs, classified advertising, auctions, content management, and web-searching. Thunderstone is a 20-year-old company whose products are used on thousands of web sites worldwide. Major customers include eBay, QVC, About.com, ZDNet, HotJobs, and many others. For more information, visit http://www.thunderstone.com or call +1 216-820-2200.