The move follows the expansion of Google into the Australian marketplace and its subsequent launch of a local version of Google News. Overture currently has businesses in South Korea and Japan, but has no current plans to open offices in any other Asia Pacific country, according to spokesperson Jim Olson.
Brian Steel, the president of Overture International, said "Australia is a very promising commercial search market," and pointed to Jupiter Research, which projected the paid search market in Australia would grow at an annual compound growth rate of 86 percent to around AU$63.8 million by 2005.
Olson reiterated the promise of the Australian market as one reason for opening a local office, but said the purchase of AltaVista by Overture earlier this year was another significant factor in the decision.
"We were able to convert the AltaVista team already on the ground and very quickly transfer them to our Overture business," said Olson. "So we could hit the ground running."
Mel Bohse, who was previously vice president of AltaVista Asia Pacific, has been appointed as the managing director of Overture Services Australia. Overture was recently bought by Yahoo.
