Google is not the only search engine type service filing for an initial public offering. GuruNet has filed for an IPO on the Nasdaq Small Cap index, under the ticker GURU. According to a Globes report, GuruNet will issue $7.8 million worth of shares at an estimate company value of $15 million, before money.
GuruNet offers a fee-based database of ready-reference material. In March GuruNet relaunched a new release which allows the user to access Gurunet’s reference content without having to download client software.
According to ResourceShelf’s Gary Price, before the relaunch of GuruNet, you needed to download and install a small application to access GuruNet’s impressive list of 150 reference sources.
However, that’s all changed. The company has launched a web-based version of their product (fee-based) while GuruNet’s client apps base product still remaina available. GuruNet charges $29.95/year to access the service, although a two week free trial is available. The relauched GuruNet offers an online search tool, GuruNet IE Tool Bar, GuruNet 5.0 for Windows, a Mac version and GuruNet Kids, for the web researching preteens.
SearchEngineWatch’s Chris Sherman is also a fan of GuruNet; “Forget search engines: GuruNet brings you the information you need while you’re working with any application running on your computer.”
From Chris’s review:
You can rely on the answers GuruNet finds. It draws from licensed reference sources including the American Heritage Dictionary, Roget’s Thesaurus, the Columbia Reference Encyclopedia, and many others. For news and other current information, it draws from reliable online news, sports and company profile sources. GuruNet is like a virtual reference librarian with quick answers always at the ready.
How your results are presented varies based on the type of information you’re searching for. Different types of tabbed results are offered based on the subject you’re interested in.
In addition to its powerful lookup capabilities, GuruNet has several other useful components. Its language capabilities are strong, allowing you to easily view results in 13 languages. You can set your default to any of these languages, or simply use the translation button to translate the content you’re viewing into another language. This works for both GuruNet results and for web page results, making it one of the quickest ways to translate online content I’ve seen.
