Autonomy behind Chinese consumer search service

Autonomy has entered into a joint venture with China Netcom Broadband Corporation Limited (CNCBB) to provide far-reaching consumer services.

The UK software company has had offices in that country for four years but the joint venture will see it working with a leading broadband provider - CNCBB reaches 110 million homes, including those in the capital, Beijing - and integrated search specialist Blinkx.

Mike Lynch, Autonomy's CEO, told silicon.com: "In China it's important to work with the government. CNCBB have 95 per cent of the broadband market and because they're a telco they have billing relationships with the customer, which is especially important when there aren't many credit cards."

Starting from "the autumn" consumers will be able to search their desktops, the web and TV channels using Autonomy technology.

Blinkx, already an Autonomy OEM, will be used mainly for branding. Lynch said that search giant Google has yet to make inroads in the fast growing market and that Autonomy's relatively low risk approach will lead to key advantages.

"This is a Chinese system run by the Chinese in China," he said. "We will be working with the Chinese culture rather than against it."

Autonomy, one of the UK's best-known software vendors, posted revenues of $16.4m up 37 per cent year on year for its first quarter ending 31 March. It has expanded in the US in recent years and counts Nokia, Phillips and Shell among its customers.