Ask.com has entered a multiyear partnership with Symantec Corp, which owns the Norton security software brand, to power the Safe Search function in the toolbar within Norton Safe Web.
The Safe Search function will be part of the Norton 360 version 3.0 public beta anti-virus software suite.
“It’s a great win for Ask and the partner network because Symantec ships millions of pieces of software each year, and Ask search will be included as part of that,” said Andrew Moers, president of the Ask Partner Network. “It’s an opportunity to provide and expose the Ask search experience to all these users and build loyalty and trust among a highly valuable base of users.”
When a user searches within the Norton toolbar, a unique Ask.com Safe Search result page is displayed in which each result is safety-rated by Symantec via a color-coded icon. This will help consumers avoid sites that might be harmful to their computer. The searcher can then glide the cursor over the icon to get more information about the safety rating. Safe Search is currently available in English only.
Safe Search is a natural evolution of Ask’s goal of reaching more families, Moers said.
“A secure search experience is something that parents want for their children,” he said.
Moers also believes the partnership will increase the number of Ask users.
“It’s a part of our strategy to reach consumers at any and every Internet access point,” he said. “We’ll get the Ask experience in front of all these consumers. We think once they try it they’ll love it and continue to use it.”
