Centraal Signs Strategic Distribution Alliance With Inktomi

Palo Alto, CA-based Centraal Corp., creator of the RealNames Web page addressing system, signed a strategic distribution and reseller alliance with Inktomi Corp.

Under the terms of the agreement, Inktomi will license RealNames, making it available to its portal and other Web site customers. In addition, Inktomi will enable its search customers to promote RealNames subscriptions through links embedded in search results. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“The Inktomi alliance is significant to Centraal, both as a market leader’s endorsement of the RealNames System, and as a catalyst to RealNames distribution growth on the Internet,” said Keith Teare, founder and chief executive officer of Centraal. “This agreement allows existing and future Inktomi customers to easily deploy RealNames functionality in an integrated fashion, providing users with the benefit of intuitive navigation and companies with a compelling way to reach their customers.”

“Adding the RealNames capability to Inktomi’s growing set of service options provides our search customers with another important tool to help their users quickly and easily find what they’re looking for,” said David Peterschmidt, Inktomi CEO. “Both companies are committed to improving the Internet navigation experience. . .and we believe the agreement strengthens Inktomi’s position as the leading provider of private-label search services.”

The Inktomi alliance follows Centraal’s recent announcement of $13 million in financing, and a strategic partnership with Network Solutions including a global sales, marketing and customer service agreement.

Centraal unveiled the Real Name System, a new global naming system for navigating the Internet, in March 1998 and began its first distribution partnership with AltaVista last May. Since then, LookSmart has agreed to distribute the RealNames system on its directory site.