Diller says Ask Jeeves may be getting a name change

SAN FRANCISCO – IAC/InterActiveCorp Chief Executive Barry Diller likes his latest planned online acquisition.

He’s just not that fond of its name.

Diller on Tuesday told an audience of media and executives that the more he learns about the search capabilities of Ask Jeeves Inc., which New York-based IAC is buying for $1.85 billion in stock, the more convinced he is that the firm can gain market share.

Ask Jeeves will get an infusion of cash for marketing and development, but its brand name is unlikely to survive in its current form.

“We’re thinking about renaming it,” Diller said during a question and answer session at the D3 – All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad. “It probably won’t be called Ask Jeeves.”

“What will it be called?” asked conference host and Wall Street Journal columnist Kara Swisher.

“Might be one of those words without the other,” Diller answered. The new name has not been decided, he added.