Quaero has the potential to represent European values and norms, provide transparent search engine results and technologies, and protect the privacy of European citizens.
A slew of small start-ups from Europe are working on launching search engines that could not only cater to regional markets but also provide alternatives to Google in mainstream online search. These private entrepreneurs are not alone. As they step up efforts in their quest to find ways to challenge Google's supremacy, some governments are also joining them. For instance, Jacques Chirac, the President of France seems to be firm on his stand against "Big G" as he spoke, "We must take the offensive and muster a massive effort". The new strategic alliance of France and Germany is on its way to make a "superior Google" named "Quaero" (meaning, "I seek" in Latin) with an enhanced technology and adequate flexibility to fit into European multilingual and multicultural scenario. In fact, "it is one of several supported by Chirac in an effort to combat US hegemony in the digital erathe CFII international satellite television news channel is another", commented an article in The Guardian, Britain's leading daily. The ambitious project, conceived in April 2005, which could see investments of 1-2 bn spreading over a period of five years, and a public-private initiative involving corporate giants from the two countries, like Siemens and France Telecom, focus on developing a series of sophisticated digital tools including a next-generation Internet search engine, said US-based daily IHT. |
