CMGI Inc said yesterday that it expects AltaVista Co to go public in January – less than six months after the internet venture fund picked up a majority holding in the internet search engine and portal web site from Compaq Computer Corp. AltaVista will file for an initial public offering following CMGI’s fiscal first quarter ending October 31, David Wetherell CMGI chairman told an after-hours conference call last night held to announce the firm’s fourth-quarter and fiscal 1999 results. AltaVista is to unveil a re-vamped service next month, Wetherell said.
Digital Equipment Corp, the original owner of AltaVista, intended to take the unit to an IPO as long ago as 1997, but later changed its mind. It was subsequently acquired by Compaq along with DEC.
CMGI also announced the creation of four new venture funds. The funds will target, respectively, technology firms in Europe and Asia, e-commerce companies and other internet start-ups.รก
