Best Small Cos. It came as no surprise to Google enthusiasts, but it caught Inktomi investors off guard. Some investors wondered if Inktomi is a has-been in the search space. To Google's credit, in an industry where a name is only as valuable as the venture capitalists behind it, the company is in with the biggest and the best. Andy Bechtolsheim also invested in the company.
Few startups can boast a more technologically elite group of friends.
And of course it didn't hurt Google's reputation last month when it won a Webby award for technical achievement. But all the unbridled enthusiasm for a mere search engine gives cause to wonder whether Google's technology is really superior to its competitors or whether it's merely enjoying its role as flavor of the month. I might give the nod to Google, but Inktomi has made huge improvements over the last year. I don't think the difference is really that great. According to another analyst, the partnership could be based on cultural similarities.