Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) unveiled a complete redesign of its Bing search engine this morning. The company, which has long failed to make money on its search offerings, showed off a new logo for the search engine alongside new functionality. The redesign is aimed at making the service more usable on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets.
The update to the search engine is accompanied by many feature additions including Page Zero. That feature is the basis of the new Bing. It allows users to search by just typing into the text box, rather than clicking. Page Zero will attempt to making searching more efficient and faster, oarticularly for those using touch and smaller screens.
Bing redesign
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has redesigned the logo of its Bing logo. The new logo is sharper and more modern seeming than the previous iteration. The service has taken bright yellow, the color found in the lower left quadrant of the Windows logo, as its own.
The Page Zero feature that the entirety of the new design hinges upon isn’t just Google instant search at Bing. If Bing thinks you’re looking for a specific search term it will bring up a limited amount of information while you’re still typing. The feature is a mix between Google Instant and the synopses that Google pulls from Wikipedia.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is also adding new information to the Bing page. In the top left of the Bing bar, which appears at the extreme top of the web page, users will be able to see local weather and other location dependent information.
Microsoft search success
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is still the king of search on the web, so Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is taking a slightly different tack to push Bing. The strategy has resulted in an unlikely alliance with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). iOS 7 will see full integration of Bing. Microsoft is also aggressively pushing the search in its own ecosystem.
Bing powers search across a range of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) software. It’s a default in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and it’s going to be used in Office and other programs. The strategy is a new one and it’s difficult to project how effective it will be.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) attempted to bet big on Bing when it launched in 2009. The engine never lived up to expectations. The new design, particularly the color chosen, place Bing as a support business in the Microsoft world.
