Qwiki is a startup search engine that allows users to turn static information into a rich media experience. The results are entirely generated by machines from sources such as Wikipedia and include interactive videos, slideshows and maps. The Qwiki team originally planned to make use of crowd-sourcing to generate the search results (hence the wiki in Qwiki). The Qwikis are now created by the company’s proprietary algorithms. You will be able to embed the Qwikis on any website and they will also be compatible with all iOS devices. Developers will also be happy to know that Qwiki will release its own markup language and API. The search engine is currently in it’s invite-only alpha phase.
So what implications does Qwiki have for businesses? Well, aside from its planned social media tool (which will allow users to create Qwikis by aggregating their social data), Qwiki plans to release a product that will allow merchants to aggregate data found on review sites such as Yelp. Web publishers will also be able to turn their content into Qwikis. There’s another tool to add to your social media kit.
Qwiki at TechCrunch Disrupt from Qwiki on Vimeo.