Web surfers are anything but loyal when it comes to their favorite search engines, according to new research that could give hope to Net titans Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN as they seek to wrest the search crown from Google.

On average, people use two different search engines a month, according to new data from market researcher ComScore Media Metrix. And while Google commands the most loyalty from searchers, even those people find the need to cheat sometimes.

"Everyone thinks there's this incredible loyalty to Web search engines, but in fact there really isn't," said James Lamberti, a research director at ComScore. "Consumers still switch around a lot, and loyalty can be quickly broken." [more]

Lycos Shifts Focus, Outsources Ad Duties

Feb. 13, 2004
By: Brian Morrissey
Senior Editor

Terra Lycos will revamp its Lycos portal in the United States to focus on networking sites and subscription services, the company said this week. As part of the overhaul, the company will cut 20 percent of its U.S. staff and outsource advertising operations to 24/7 Real Media.

The Spanish Internet company said it would shift Lycos to emphasize "connections" through its online dating, gaming and Web log services. Along with the move, the company closed offices in Mountain View, CA, and said it would reshuffle some operations in its Waltham, MA, headquarters. It has 417 U.S. employees. [more]