Microsoft has revamped itsLive Searchengine, expanding the types of searches users can
run.
The development comes as
Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo drags on.
In an
interview with Computer Weekly, Brad Goldberg, general manager,
search engine business at Microsoft, said the company was
well-positioned to be a strong search engine company, and was
taking long-term investments in datacentres and search technology
to become the alternative to Google. "Microsoft is significantly
investing on a worldwide basis because we think search is a
critical area for us," he said.
The user interface has been expanded to provide local and
mapping information, together with integrated location-based
services via mobile devices. Microsoft said it had improved the way
Live Search finds images, presenting images on a single page to
avoid users having to click "next page" to see more.
Microsoft said Multimap had been reworked to provide better
local search features, together with a bird's eye view from Virtual
Earth.
Microsoft has also developed mobile search. The "Find My
Location" feature in Mobile Live Search is designed to identify a
user's location and find the nearest restaurant or cinema, for
example, and offer directions on how to get there.
Podcast: Microsoft's Brad Goldberg on how Live Search will take on
Google >>