Microsoft has long struggled to boost the profile of its search engine, MSN/Live.com. For that reason, Microsoft decided to try something new and has just launched an all-new search engine called Bing. Bing, which had previously been code-named Kumo, is said to help consumers make “faster, more informed decisions.”
Bing is said to provide vertical search functionality for those shopping for a specific product, planning a trip, researching health related topics, or trying to find a local business. Like other search engines, Bing also enables searches to be filtered by automatically generating suggested search queries as well as by links to images, shopping, maps, news, and travel. A key feature of Bing is the ability to hover over a result and read a snippet of the website’s content, helping the user gauge just how useful the site is.
Microsoft will be carrying the Bing branding to MSN and Live.com. If nothing else this is an indication that Microsoft intends to make the Bing search engine its primary product to compete with Google. But like so many other search engines that have tried to go up against Google, Bing will need to bring something truly different to the table to ensure its success. Most importantly, results need to provide value to users and deliver on the promise to provide information and answers to users faster.
Bing has been unveiled a few days ahead of schedule to give users the chance to preview the new search engine. It’s expected that potential users will soon see the Bing logo everywhere as Microsoft is spending between $80 million and $100 million on advertising to promote its latest search product.
While some have said that Bing stands for “But-its-not-Google,” the new search engine has received plenty of positive feedback from industry observers. Despite solid reviews, Bing still faces an uphill battle. The biggest challenge is getting users to switch from Google – a product they’re already used to. That being said, Bing may deliver more of a threat to Yahoo rather than Google.
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