iStock’s new search technology and image collection

Press release:

iStockphoto Debuts Best of Breed Search Technology and the Vetta Image Collection
Highly Relevant Results Cut Search Times By Up to 50 Percent

LONDON, June 24, 2009 — A recent survey of more than 28,000 iStockphoto customers found that search and quality of collection are two of the top reasons for choosing iStock. Enter Best Match 2.0 and the Vetta™ Collection.

The Best Match algorithm provides more relevant results and saves people time when searching. Seventy-eight percent of customers found it reduced search times — 20 percent of those said search times were reduced by more than 50 percent.

Vetta is a collection of top-quality iStock images hand-selected for exquisite art direction and intelligently executed concepts.

“Part of why we remain the microstock market leader is because we challenge ourselves to do two things: keep iStock’s collection the highest quality in the world, and help customers find the right files faster,” said Kelly Thompson, COO of iStockphoto. “By improving search efficiency and relevancy with Best Match 2.0 while launching the high-caliber Vetta Collection, we’re again improving the customer experience.”

Best Match 2.0
Best Match 2.0 is a new proprietary search technology. As it constantly learns from customer behaviour, the advanced algorithm returns some of the most accurate and relevant search results in the industry.

Visitors can further customize their search experience by using the Best Match Sort Slider, located in Advanced Search. Setting the Best Match Sort Slider to ‘high’ causes the search engine to prioritise files with primary subject keywords. Setting it to ‘low’ gives more prominence to other factors such as concepts and secondary subject matter in the image. A ‘high’ slider position will find exactly what a designer is searching for whereas a ‘low’ slider position will show a wider variety of files and is great for brainstorming.

“What’s even more exciting is phase two of this technology,” said Thompson. “We’ve already started collecting search data based on the country and language in which the search originated. The next version of Best Match will use this language and country data to deliver superior, locally relevant search results.”

For a deeper explanation of Best Match, visit: http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=630

Vetta Collection Details
Vetta, Italian for peak, is the answer for creative professionals looking for exceptional imagery. Submitted by Exclusive iStock contributors, every Vetta image is hand-selected by our seasoned inspection team for its art direction, well-executed concept and uniqueness. On launch, Vetta will contain 35,000 images and vector illustrations meeting the collection’s strict acceptance criteria. Prices will range from £25 for small to £52 for XXXL.

Visit iStockphoto.com/vetta or simply perform a search on the site and Vetta images will appear indicated by a gold camera icon.