Aussie Search Engine Goes Public
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February 22nd, 2006: The CSIRO-developed P@NOPTIC search engine has proved so successful that it is being spun off to form a new company, Funnelback Pty Ltd.
P@NOPTIC - now Funnelback - is used by organisations to search for information contained in their websites, intranets, file-shares and databases - and is not to be confused with global engines such as Google.
Funnelback is already used to power the search on websites of major Australian organisations such as the Australian Government Information Management Office, Westpac Banking Corporation, the Australian Stock Exchange, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ninemsn and the University of Sydney. Internationally, the search engine is also used by organisations such as the National Research Council of Canada, University of Staffordshire and the Scottish Care Commission.
CSIRO ICT Centre Director, Dr Alex Zelinsky, says that the formation of Funnelback Pty Ltd demonstrates Australia's ability to develop leading edge information and communication technologies and then to successfully bring them to the marketplace.
"Our success has always been driven by the development of new and innovative ways to solve our customers' problems. Funnelback will continue in the same spirit, growing rapidly by exceeding their customers' needs," says Dr Zelinsky.
Dr Geoff Garrett, Chief Executive of CSIRO, says that the decision has been taken to spin-out the P@NOPTIC technology into a newly created company called Funnelback.
"It is our view that, with the technology in a company structure with good governance and management, we will create maximum impact for our research," says Dr Garrett.
"It's also an example of successful commercialisation built on great science - which is what CSIRO's rejuvenation of its ICT research is all about."
Funnelback will be led by former CSIRO Senior Manager, Commercialisation, Mr Stuart Beil as its Chief Executive Officer, with Dr David Hawking, the driving force behind the development of P@NOPTIC at the CSIRO ICT Centre, as Chief Scientist.
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