Image Search: GettyImages.com Releases Beta

From the news release:

Getty Images announced the public launch of gettyimages.com beta, a groundbreaking new site that merges the latest technology with the most relevant industry trends to create innovative and more efficient ways to find and deliver imagery and related products and services. With the public beta, the company invites customers to help shape the future of the new gettyimages.com

The current beta site combines, for the first time, the company’s entire collection of editorial and creative imagery and focuses on the time-sensitivity demanded by editorial customers. While the creation of the beta site was focused on the workflow and requirements of editorial customers, creative customers can preview the benefits of the new site as well. A full site re-launch, with significant enhancements and feature upgrades focused on the specialized needs of creative customers, is planned for mid 2007.

While the site features noticeable cosmetic improvements, its most significant enhancements focus on greater productivity. Visitors to beta.gettyimages.com will be able to:

— Filter a single database of more than nine million editorial and
creative images in a matter of seconds, thanks to a revolutionary
“contextual refinement” feature that can replace wading through pages
of thumbnails with a few intuitive clicks

— Enjoy a more responsive user interface and a more intuitive navigation
structure that quickly highlights the most relevant images

— Select from among a range of easy customization and personalization
options that quickly tailor the site to each user’s preferences

— Experience near-real-time indexing — with even faster access to the
newest editorial imagery from around the world thanks to the
patent-pending Automated Metadata Process (AMP)

— Conduct original searches with an AMP-enabled, fully localized search
engine in German, Spanish and English (U.S. and UK), always the
standard for Getty Images Creative imagery searches, and now available
for Editorial imagery

— Avoid wasting time with improved features that reduce “no-result”
searches, misspellings and unclear search terms

— Submit feedback on the quality of their experience that will help shape
future site features