Youku Launches Video Searching Engine Soku.com

China’s leading Internet television company Youku announced, after a year’s Beta testing, Soku– its subsidiary brand officially launched. Three key words, “fast, professional, hot” are its most prominent feature.

Soku is a professional video search engine introduced by Youku, specialized in video searching services covering throughout the whole network including all the mainstream video sites. Compared with traditional search engines, Soku only provides services specialized in video searching. From the aspects of searching experience and results, “fast, professional,and hot” become Soku’s most significant features.

“As long as it’s relating to video, Youku would do everything.”

According to Youku CTO Yao Jian, Soku’s official launch referenced Youku CEO Gu Yongqiang’s vision stated in the beginning of 2011 that “as long as it’s relating to video, Youku would do everything.” Yao Jian states, 2011 will be a year for Youku to launch in full force in the aspect of user experience, to make Youku a more ubiquitous part of the Internet user experience in China.

It’s been a while since Youku video started arranging for its searching site. In June 2010, Youku video has already operated the testing of Soku. Mr. Yao claims that 5 years’ experience of video operating helps Youku know better of users’ needs and habits. Now, with the introducing of Soku, Youku will be able to integrate current video users’ needs more closely. “As technology progresses, we want to make sure we’re advancing along with it.” said Yao.

74% video users search within online video sites, not search engines

Shown from statistics that using video sites for video searching increasingly heats up among a number of vidoe searching methods. According to CNNIC, in 2009, only 43.8% video users used online video sites to search for videos they want; in 2010, the number goes up to 73.6%. With the emerging of professional video searching products such as Soku, video searching and sharing is going to become more vertically integrated.

Apart from Youku, Baidu also launched similar product – video.baidu.com.