Yahoo Enhances Search Features

Yahoo Inc. launched iPhrase Technologies Inc.'s natural language search and navigation tool on its Yahoo Finance Web site Monday.

The tool, built on iPhrase's OneStep platform and branded as Finance Search, provides consumers with search and analysis capabilities, accessing the content on Yahoo Finance from a single location.

Users can type in questions of the search engine in conversational English. The search engine then retrieves the requested information from multiple sources at the site, including Yahoo Finance's market data and personal finance and investing content.

Rather than just showing a list of possible links, it takes users to an existing page or builds a new page on the fly. Yahoo Finance Search also provides definitions of financial terms; navigation of current market information, such as most active stocks, upgrades/downgrades and earnings calendars; and access to quotes, charts, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other company-specific information for publicly traded stocks.

Yahoo has not made any plans yet to roll out the iPhrase technology on its other sites, but may based on how successful this pilot is.

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