Wolfram Alpha To Enable API, Open Data To Others

Aug 31, 2009 at 8:01am ET by Greg Sterling

Not long ago “computational engine” Wolfram Alpha struck a deal with Microsoft to license some of its data to Bing. Now, according to the Guardian UK, Wolfram is going wide with that strategy and will soon enable an API that third parties can use to create mashups or enhance their sites.

This may be a step toward monetization and/or an admission that as a “search destination” it’s foundering.

Wolfram today has a defined range of data (see the Wikipedia list), making it unpredictable for those not familiar with its capabilities and limitations. Chris and Danny both wrote positive reviews of the site.

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By juxtaposing itself with Google or positioning itself as superior to Google in a number of ways, Wolfram created some confusion (and disappointment) in the market. People showed up and didn’t know how to use it, incorrectly assuming it was a search engine.

Now let’s see what others can do with the data.

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land, and writes a personal blog Screenwerk, examining the broader world of media and advertising. He also posts at a Local Mobile Search, which is focused on the mobile Internet.

See more articles by Greg Sterling >

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