Search engine rivals Google

The Alltheweb search service has undergone changes that make it a better option for corporate use, and a viable alternative to Web search leaders Google and Yahoo

Last month the company that created the Alltheweb search engine, Fast, announced that it had been bought out by search engine giant Overture.

Following this acquisition, which makes Alltheweb Google's main competitor, the site now has a new look, and many additional features.

First, the site has a new, streamlined user interface. This interface is reminiscent of Google's stripped-down front page, particularly in that it no longer carries distracting banner advertising. But Alltheweb also uses tabs to help users locate particular categories of content. These features include the ability to search for news, music and video files, as well as FTP sites. Search results can be sorted both for relevance and publication date.

Another new feature that may be useful is the ability to customise the site's colour. This is aesthetically pleasing but could also suit partially-sighted or colour-blind people, who may struggle when images are presented in certain colours.

One of the most useful features for companies looking for information about potential customers, partners, or suppliers is the ability to obtain detailed information about specific Web sites or pages.

By entering a URL into the search box users can find out who owns the domain, when it was last updated, its size, and what subdomains it operates. For history fans, Alltheweb also points to cached versions of how sites used to look, though many graphic and image files are unavailable for some sites.