Guardian content platform runs on Lucid Imagination search

The Guardian launched its new Open Platform content sharing service last week and announced that the underlying search technology used to power the service is from open source vendor, Lucid Imagination using Solr, the Lucene open-source Enterprise Search Server.

The Content API lets users search for content matching a certain search criteria and delivers the content to customers in a format they can integrate into their existing web applications. When users conduct a search, they are using the Lucid Imagination tool to pull that content from the database. Lucid Imagination worked closely with developers at The Guardian to find ways to access content and use it in creative ways.

It's a big deal that The Guardian went with an open-source tool to power this new service, which also includes a new Data Store, which consists of a directory of statistics curated by editors. By using a search tool in this fashion to pull the content from the database and package it in ways others can use, The Guardian is breaking new ground about how to use its content and find creative ways to generate revenue beyond its print-based brick and mortar roots.

This is in stark contrast to the (London) Times and Sunday Times, which recently announced they were locking down all content from search engines with the exception of the home page, effectively forfeiting any organic traffic that might find the articles by happenstance.

For more information:
- see The Guardian press release
- see the Lucid Imagination press release

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