LinkedIn launches new way to search

Nearly a month after unveiling a new developer platform, business social-networking site LinkedIn has taken the wraps off a new search platform.

In a summary of the new key features, Esteban Kozak, senior product manager at LinkedIn, said the new platform is "redefining the way professionals go about finding talent, business partners, customers, or a former colleague".

The site, which has about 31 million members, examined more than one billion search queries executed by members to create new productivity tools, Kozak said.

With the new platform, members will be able to refine their searches for other members using more than a dozen data fields, including "name", "company" and "school". The new platform also increases the amount of search space presented by eliminating the need to switch tabs.

The new "In Common" feature helps locate shared connections and groups users share with selected members. Members can also save searches and receive email reminders when a search finds someone that meets the specified criteria. The search tool also adds a spell checker for names.

LinkedIn's new developer platform, which officially went live on 28 October, includes an array of internal- and partner-created applications such as a "reading list" app from Amazon, a trip-tracking app from TripIt, file sharing from Box.net, and presentation apps from SlideShare and Google Presentation.

Sandwiched between the platform releases was the announcement earlier this month that the company would cut 10 per cent of its workforce, or about 36 jobs, as part of a restructuring to focus on its revenue-producing businesses.

Original article: LinkedIn unveils new search platform from CNET News.com