• Will Microsoft's Bing Displace Google Search?

    Will Microsoft's Bing Displace Google Search?

    Techtree News Staff, May 29, 2009 1441 hrs IST

    Microsoft re-brands its Kumo search engine to Bing

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Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the re-branded search engine Kumo -- Bing -- at the D7: All Things Digital Conference in San Diego.

Microsoft said it will offer the search results of Bing in Live Search to select users from June 1 and from June 3. Bing will now turn into Microsoft's default search - thereby replacing Live Search.

Bing is referred as a decision engine which helps users make better decisions. Unlike Google's search results, which are full of web links, Bing boasts of crawling over local information providing social services like Yelp and CitySearch.

Bing scores over Google search in terms of visual presentation of search results too. Microsoft's Bing uses the technology from Powerset, a search technology company that was acquired last year by the software giant. Powerset's semantic search technology helps in getting more related searches and this notably improves the generic search results.

Like Google's Suggestions, Bing also offers search keywords suggestions as the word is being typed. Bing gives a nice overview of a particular product by collating both user and product reviews by getting information from data mash-ups. Clicking on a product review would result in comprehensive data of features cited as pros and cons by the users and reviewing sites as well.





Bing will prove to be a boon for shopaholics, since it takes shopping to the next level by showing results with prices comparisons.

For a specific query, like details about a product or a food item, users also get to see more localized results by clicking on 'Local' and 'More Listings'. More accurate and complete local results would require additional local data being fed and sourced.

Amongst the search results, the mouse pointer is hovered over a particular result, then text excerpt from the respective page pops up - that's the Quick Preview feature. This saves up extra clicks, time and a few bytes of data connection. One issue Google always faces is listing the most relevant search based on keywords and not timeline. Bing scores in that area, showing the most recent and relevant search result on the top.

Bing's other features include:

-Best Match: All the relevant results are showed up with the most relevant link on the top and called out
-Instant Answers: One-click access to the information listed in the search results.
-Deep Links: Talks more about the resources of the particular site
-Bing Maps: These maps for Enterprise are actually Virtual Earth, Microsoft's mapping platform
-Bing Travel Rate Key: comparison of the Hotel's the location, price and amenities will be represented in color coded manner

For detailed overview and deeper understanding of features of Bing, head to Microsoft's Interactive guide.

The Search Engine war has sparked up again with the recent entry of Wolfram Alpha, Google's Search getting smarter, and Microsoft's Bing. However, it should be noted that Wolfram Alpha is still in its alpha stage and we may expect more features and accurate functions by the time it reaches beta stage. Yahoo, on the other hand, is working on mashing up social network based search information into its search engine.

We might consider Google as the top preferred search engine currently. Many 'Google Search' killers like Cuil and Kosmix failed to beat the search giant in the past. So far, what we see is that Bing would be an interactive search alternative for casual Internet users while the tech fanatics, evangelists, geeks and all the IT loving people will still depend upon Google for search - provided it keeps improving gradually.

On a lighter note, Bing stands for 'But It's Not Google!'

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Related Links
Google Launches Mobile Help Forum
Now, Sync Google Contacts With BlackBerry
Microsoft's Kumo to Compete with Google, Yahoo
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Discussion Board
(21) Comments
Sunil Jagdhane
,Aurangabad, on May 30, 2009 02:29 PM
Microsoft launches there new search engine Bing , which helps users make better decisions it is very good news for all internet users we get answers of our question quickly on screen all the relevant results are showed up with the most relevant link on the top. But google is a popular search engine in the world that what will be bing affect on google surch engine’s popularity
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Niraj
,Aurangabad, on May 30, 2009 11:01 AM
this is very nice thought of Microsoft company. this is the latest search engine. Its advantage is very nice to solve the user problem but as compare to google is developed in marketing and searching. That’s why google market is high.
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Mama Mama Shock
,EverybodysGonnaLoveToday, on May 29, 2009 11:10 PM
My failsense is tingling.....
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Kelly
,New Glasgow Nova Scotia, on May 29, 2009 10:45 PM
BING meaning 'But It's Not Google!' And ladies and gentlemen, that is why it will fail. Epically. I just love how despite how much money they have, they just grasp at straws to beat other companies in areas of technology they should stay away from. Zune anyone? How many have they sold compared to the iPod in the same time frame? Yea I thought so :P
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Will
,Kenosha, on May 29, 2009 08:10 PM
How is that different from froogle?
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Bingo
,Manchester, on May 29, 2009 07:11 PM
I think google is starting to step on my nerves, they are beginning to think they are all that. Bring on the Bing! Am tired of googling, sometimes I aren't even sure whether am getting the best results.
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Anonymous
,Sydney, on May 29, 2009 05:31 PM
This will never compete with Google.
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Daniel J Swanso
,Potterville MI, on May 29, 2009 05:27 PM
This fits Microsoft's plan to be a distant second or third player with products that would be acceptable if all of your competitors were incompetent. This is exactly the relationship that Bing carburetors are to Mikuni carburetors.
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Jose J Gascon
,Guadalajara Jalisco, on May 29, 2009 05:25 PM
keep trying, the usual abuses of Microsoft from its market dominance position, his rudeness to his own customers, make the though ones to go the Linux way and i am very happy, in 2 clicks i have access to a repository with 26,000 free programs, from children training software to genetics advanced software, about 20+ environments to choose or more and i usually use google news as mi home page, except when i an researching something specific, for a time i change mi home page to that specific search and copy and paste that search to writer and save the search in mi usb memory, until i finish that research project, and this is mi standard searching method. If google keeps its independence from the monster (Micrisoft) i will be using google. It have to do with freedom, respect, trust, not just a better way of searching or a better engine, Microsoft to me its like the Bush administration used to be, tricky, untrusted, spying its own people, the Guantanamo nightmares, the kidnapped people flying by in the moonless nights to nowhere, the torturing of prisoners, the police state, very near of the Stalin era, except the change from workers dictatorship to Monsanto, Holliburton, CIA, DEA, and about 16 more agencies, abusing of his dominance position, etc, etc.
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qaz
,melbourne, on May 29, 2009 05:25 PM
Easy Answer: BIG NOOOOO!!
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James
,Shoalhaven, on May 29, 2009 04:54 PM
Looks like a good, well thought out idea to me. As a consumer who knows little and cares even less about computer politics - i think i will switch over to it when it goes live. If it works like they say then i wouldn't use Google over it.
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Jon
,London, on May 29, 2009 04:48 PM
It took someone like Google to wake up MS and make them improve their products. Even if these search engines are comparable, my vote is for the company that will continue to lead in innovation.
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Anonymous
,Greenville, on May 29, 2009 04:46 PM
Haven't we been down this road before with Microsoft? The futility of competing against such a massive monopoly as Google, like they have in Windows, must be overly frustrating. It shows them what it's like when having the best doesn't really matter.
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Glenn Adams
,Olongapo, Philippines, on May 29, 2009 03:04 PM
in a year's time, the only "bing" people will remember is a "bing cherry"
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Don
,Bangalore, on May 29, 2009 04:30 PM
what about Chandler BING ?
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Ali Putin
,Moscow, on May 29, 2009 04:28 PM
Bing stands for 'Bing is no good'
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Brad
,Kannapolis, on May 29, 2009 04:13 PM
No.
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Smart Enough To
,Louisville,KY, on May 29, 2009 04:12 PM
LOL, MS Stinks as a company ( milking your customers while in a government sponsored monopoly can do that to you ) . No one but employees and people who spend lots of money to put a series of letters in front of their names ( like they were a doctor LOL ) to show they are MS this or that certified. Cant blame them though they are just trying to eat. BUT NO ONE WILL FLOCK TO THIS, MS IS DREAMING AGAIN, But what do you expect from a crackhead like Balmer.
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Nexus
,Sydney, on May 29, 2009 04:11 PM
BLING would be a better name - ostentatious. Silly name bing - the verb to bling, a blinger
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Barry
,Kimberley, South Africa, on May 29, 2009 03:49 PM
My guess is that Google will simply upgrade, enhance, improve or whatever is appropriate, calmly step over Bing and leave it lying in the dust.
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Bill
,San Diego, on May 29, 2009 03:05 PM
No
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