Google has today opened the doors to a next-gen version of its search engine, allowing users to test a new architecture that promises to "push the envelope on size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions."
The update, dubbed "Caffeine", employs a new "under the hood" infrastructure that should provide quicker all-round performance, although search results are expected to remain largely unchanged.
Google has dismissed claims suggesting that the update is in response to an increasing threat to its search dominance. In recent months, Microsoft's Bing alternative has continued to gain popularity, and recently secured a deal to power Yahoo's search business, too. Google also faces a threat from real-time search engines such as FriendFeed, now aquired by Facebook.
When asked if the Caffeine update was in response to any of the above, Google's search quality specialist, Matt Cutts, had this to say:
"Nope. I love competition in search and want lots of it, but this change has been in the works for months. I think the best way for Google to do well in search is to continue what we’ve done for the last decade or so: focus relentlessly on pushing our search quality forward. Nobody cares more about search than Google, and I don’t think we’ll ever stop trying to improve."
Users can try out the Caffeine update at www2.sandbox.google.com, and Google is encouraging users to leave feedback using the "Dissatisfied? Help us improve" link found at the bottom of its search-result pages.
