Cignex's KeepShort makes big changes in web use

By siliconindia staff writer   |   Tuesday, 04 May 2004, 19:30 IST
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MAY 4: When CIGNEX Technologies, Inc last month announced its new URL-shortening product, KeepShort, and put it online for public use, it had no idea how popular KeepShort would become! In less than one week, KeepShort leapt by a factor of 10 in the various rankings that measure use of Web pages. A statement from the company claims, "a small piece of software code makes such a big impression because it makes the Web easier to use for casual web users, students, retirees, consumers, professional ecommerce types and even industrial enterprises." URLs (Universal Resource Locators, in webspeak) make the Web work. They're the addresses for everything on the Web web: every web page, every document, every service. URLs for products in catalogs, travel reservations, locations of shops and theaters, online maps, and other popular uses can extend to four or more lines of very complex code ­ difficult to remember, breakable when written into an email, and impossible to verbalize over the phone. Plus even computers trip over long URLs. KeepShort URLs are easier for users to remember, manage, and share. This makes a big difference for customers shopping online, making travel plans, or getting together for a coffee, dinner, or a movie. Sharing KeepShort URLs makes it easier to get and share information about information anywhere on the Web. KeepShort URLs also provide an operational advantage: KeepShort URLs are easier for computers to process. They make it easier to index information for search engines. They also make machine-machine communications, used in a supply chain, more efficient and reliable. The savings in terms of accurate transmission of data are tangible. "KeepShort and Shorties are uniquely popular because they¹re industrial strength and backed by a profitable, reputable company," said Cignex CEO Rajesh Setty, who led the development of KeepShort within Cignex Labs. "Our KeepShort EnterpriseÔ product is absolutely unique, suited for both small companies and larger enterprises whose business relies on the Web. It will change the way online business is done. KeepShort comes in two versions, a free version available for public use online (http://www.keepshort.com). CIGNEX Technologies, Inc., privately held, was founded in 2000 and has been profitable from its inception. Cignex has offices in Silicon Valley, Canada and India. Cignex is a technology facilitator providing professional services, custom product development, and web services. Its signature customers include Eli Lilly, Cisco, HP, Epson Electronics America, Epson Germany, Advantest Corporation, Procket Networks, Pacific Dental Benefits, Verifone, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.