Review of FAST Search

Last updated Jul. 12, 2023.
by Greg R.

Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) created the search engine and database available at AlltheWeb and Lycos. The Web Search Unit of FAST was bought by Overture in Feb. 2003. The purchase included AlltheWeb, FAST Web Search, and the FAST PartnerSite paid inclusion program.

For News See FAST News Stories

Debuting in May 1999, the Norwegian company, Fast Search and Transfer, offered their Fast search engine at www.alltheweb.com running on Dell computers. They planned on using the Inktomi business model which meant they planned on becoming available at other search engine sites as well. The first major expansion came in January 2000 with the appearance of their database on the Lycos Pro advanced search and then later on the main Lycos site. Starting at an impressive 80 million URLs, Fast grew to 200 million by August 1999 and 300 million in January 2000. They passed 2 billion in June 2002. They stated that their aim was to try and index all the public, indexable Web.

Main Partners (with Links to Showdown Reviews)

  AllTheWeb

  Lycos

Some Other Partners

• Banca IMI
• BroadVision
• CareerBuilder
• Chordiant
• Dell
• eBay
• Ericsson
• IBM
• Lycos
• Reed Elsevier
• Reuters
• Scandinavia Online
• T-Online
• Telenor
• TIBCO
• Tiscali
• WIND

More Information

FAST Press Releases
Overture Press Releases
FAST Corporate Web site
Fast PartnerSite (site submission and site search)