Ask Jeeves has bought Excite Europe from Tiscali. The agreement marks the continuing advancement of the search engine and underscores its ambition to become  a for real player in the worldwide search market.

Jeeves itself was bought by IAC just recently. IAC operates web properties including Expedia (which it is in the process of spinning off), Hotels.com and evite.com.

Ask Jeeves traditionally has been trailing behind much larger search parties likes Google, Yahoo and MSN. The company however is on of the few internet portals that owns its own search technology, putting it in a good position to compete. The deal further bolsters IAC's position on the internet. The portal could become the bridgehead for IAC's plethora of websites to conquer Europe.