Network caching and search engine company Inktomi Corp has acquired online shopping comparison technology company C2B Technologies in what it calls its first move into the e-commerce market. Inktomi is paying approximately $90m in stock for C2B with 1.8m of its shares and it will also assume all outstanding options and warrants of C2B. The acquisition will result in a charge of $1m against this quarter’s numbers and is expected to close later this month. Any self-respecting shopping site these days must have a way of comparing products on the basis of price, which is what C2B’s technology gives Inktomi. Inktomi has provided the search engine technology to the likes of Yahoo!, Snap!, HotBot and its Traffic Server network cache is used by America Online Inc, Intermedia’s Digex and @Home Network Inc. Inktomi will now combine the shopping tool with the search technology to provide more options for its licensees. C2B (Consumers to Businesses) is an early stage development company based in San Mateo The first version of its technology is in beta with CNNfn and WhoWhere/AngelFire and will be deployed by the year-end. The first Inktomi combined product, comprising the back-end clustering technology, search tool and shopping guide will be released in the first quarter next year. Almost all the C2B employees – 30 in all – will move over to Inktomi, and founder and chief executive Scott Walcheck becomes the general manager of the division within Inktomi. Inktomi shares closed up $2.375, or 4.9% at $51.375.