{{Short description|Malaysian internet company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=July 2019}} '''Cari Internet Sdn. Bhd.''' is a Malaysian company founded in 1996. It operates the eponymous website '''Cari.com.my''', the country's first search engine and web portal, along with online florist '''Flowers.com.my''' and web hosting service '''Onnet'''.<ref name="ZDNet">{{citation|publisher=ZDNet|last=Lee|first=Wendy|title=Cari.com to legally take on Catcha.com?|date=24 May 2000|access-date=8 July 2011|url=http://www.zdnetasia.com/cari-com-to-legally-take-on-catcha-com-13028096.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925173148/http://www.zdnetasia.com/cari-com-to-legally-take-on-catcha-com-13028096.htm|archive-date=25 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NST">{{citation|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7qktAAAAIBAJ&pg=2231,1845102|periodical=New Straits Times|date=13 March 2003|access-date=8 July 2011|last=Chooi|first=Yew Tzen|title=Cari to offer e-commerce solution}}</ref> '''Cari Forum''', a multilingual internet forum, is a particularly popular portion of its website.
The word ''cari'' (IPA: /{{IPA|tʃari}}/) means "search" in the Malay language.
==Business development== Cari was founded by Liew Chew-Keat ({{Lang-zh|柳树吉}}).<ref name="TechDaily">{{citation|url=http://techdaily.com.my/2009/1123/664.html|periodical=TechDaily|date=23 November 2009|access-date=9 July 2011|title=那一夜，Cari版主网聚再创记录 {{bracket|That night, Cari moderators set a record again}}|archive-date=9 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209165955/http://techdaily.com.my/2009/1123/664.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was unique for its early provision of trilingual services: English, Malay, and Chinese.<ref name="NST"/> After its founding, Cari grew to become one of the country's top ten web portals, while maintaining tight control over costs. It received RM2.5 million (US$657,808) in venture capital funding from AKN.com in 2000 in exchange for a 15% stake, which was later transferred to Swansoft Technologies. The bursting of the dot-com bubble actually aided Cari's cash flow, allowing it to cut advertising spending from RM450,000 in 2000, to just RM50,000 in 2001. However, it was still not profitable in 2001.<ref>{{citation|author=Sreejit Pillai|date=13 November 2001|access-date=8 July 2011|url=http://www.zdnetasia.com/msia-oldest-search-engine-upbeat-in-trying-times-39001129.htm|title=M'sia oldest search engine upbeat in trying times|publisher=ZDNet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129015928/http://www.zdnetasia.com/msia-oldest-search-engine-upbeat-in-trying-times-39001129.htm|archive-date=29 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2003, Cari Internet announced the rollout of its in-house developed electronic commerce platform, which partnered with local payment system Commerce Payment Sdn. Bhd.<ref name="NST"/> In 2008, it announced a partnership with local restaurant search startup FoodStreet, founded by local technologist and foodie Aidan Lee.<ref>{{citation|url=http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=wikimedia&file=/2008/6/12/columnists/wikimedia/21495102&sec=Wikimedia|periodical=The Star|date=12 June 2008|access-date=8 July 2011|title=Food, glorious local food|last=Yeoh|first=Oon}}</ref>
==Legal disputes== In 2000, Cari Internet had a legal dispute with Catcha.com and considered suing the latter for copyright infringement.<ref name="ZDNet"/> In 2008, Cari Internet was taken to court over postings made in its forum which allegedly defamed a manager of the Malaysian Chinese newspaper ''Kwong Wah Yit Poh''.<ref name="Sinchew">{{citation|url=http://tech.sinchew-i.com/sc/node/89221 |periodical=Sin Chew Daily |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=8 July 2011 |title=梁宗寶醜聞風波‧佳禮須交出網友資料 {{bracket|Neoh scandal: Cari must disclose internet user's information}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326184357/http://tech.sinchew-i.com/sc/node/89221 |archive-date=26 March 2012 }}</ref> Cari had refused to answer three letters from the manager alleging defamation and demanding that Cari disclose the identities of the posters who made the comments. The High Court at George Town ordered Cari to disclose the requested information and pay court costs for the complainant.<ref>{{citation |periodical=The Star |author=K. Kasturi Dewi |title=Court orders website to reveal identities |date=7 November 2008 |access-date=8 July 2011 |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/7/courts/2485583&sec=courts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110055401/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2008%2F11%2F7%2Fcourts%2F2485583&sec=courts |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-11-10 }}</ref>
==Traffic and rankings== According to Alexa Internet's rankings, cari.com.my was the 144th-most popular website among Malaysia's 74.6% visitors in March 2018.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/MY|title=Top Sites in Malaysia|access-date=1 April 2018|publisher=Alexa Internet|archive-date=20 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120225233/https://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/MY|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20161201195018/http://m.cari.com.my/ Official website] *[https://www.flowers.com.my Official online florist website] *[https://on.net.my Official Onnet web hosting website]
Category:Online companies of Malaysia Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1996 Category:1996 establishments in Malaysia Category:Privately held companies of Malaysia