Agenda Setters: RealNames chief claims Microsoft embraces open standards

NEWS Netscape is operating in a closed, proprietary fashion over Internet keyword technology, while Microsoft is embracing open standards. That's the view of Keith Teare, CEO of RealNames, who spoke exclusively to silicon.com in an Agenda Setters interview. Teare said that while the RealNames system for online searching is supported by almost 90 per cent of search engines, Netscape still refuses to incorporate the technology into its browser. Teare claimed the RealNames system will become an Internet standard. However, he added: "It will only become fully deployed if Netscape adopts the standard, and right now it is quite paradoxical that Microsoft, which is often thought to be self interested has adopted, whereas Netscape is taking a closed, proprietary approach." RealNames runs a keyword system that allows people to browse the Internet without using dot-com and dot-co-dot-uk type URLs. RealNames takes subscriptions from companies to register their own brand names as keywords. Teare said he was close to reaching a deal with Netscape before it was acquired by AOL, but since that time it has pursued a proprietary approach. Although RealNames was only formed in 1997, its search technology is already supported by the Microsoft browser and search engines including Google and AltaVista. You can see the full Agenda Setters interview with Keith Teare in the Internet Channel (http://www.silicon.com/a38063 ).