Microsoft Bing

Bing is a decision (search) engine from Microsoft officially announced on May 28, 2009. It combines technology from the Farecast and Powerset acquisitions, as well as new algorithms and a more colorful page design, to attempt to understand the context behind the search, which Microsoft claims gives users better results.

Bing as a brand is also an attempt to eliminate the confusion caused by Microsoft’s “Windows Live” branding. Bing is now everything “search” related, whereas Windows Live encompasses the remnants of Microsoft’s consumer software products.

Notable changes include the listing of search suggestions in real time as queries are entered, and a list of related searches, based on semantic technology from PowerSet which Microsoft purchased in 2008. Bing also includes the ability to Save & Share search histories via Windows Live SkyDrive, Facebook, and e-mail.

It’s best to think of Bing not as a search engine, but a decision engine–which is exactly how Microsoft is pitching it. While it may seem like a term you create, so as not to appear you’re going head-to-head with Google, I think decision engine is a great way of describing Bing. Microsoft wanted to build a user interface that helped the estimated 42% of us that are constantly unsatisfied with our initial search results, and I think it has achieved that in Bing.

“Today, search engines do a decent job of helping people navigate the Web and find information, but they don’t do a very good job of enabling people to use the information they find,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO in a statement about the launch. “When we set out to build Bing, we grounded ourselves in a deep understanding of how people really want to use the Web. Bing is an important first step forward in our long-term effort to deliver innovations in search that enable people to find information quickly and use the information they’ve found to accomplish tasks and make smart decisions.”

Now, before I show you some of the cool new features, let’s acknowledge that Bing clearly draws from the advances made by search engines before it–Ask.com arguably made the first move in changing the “first ten links” approach to search results. That said, I think Bing brings its own personality to the table.

The Growth of Bing
Microsoft Sites saw its average daily searcher penetration and share of search result pages in the U.S. continue to climb during the second week of Bing’s introduction. Microsoft Sites’ average daily penetration among U.S. searchers reached 16.7 percent during the work week of June 8-12, up 3 percentage points from the May 25-29 work week prior to Bing’s introduction. Microsoft’s share of search result pages in the U.S., a proxy for overall search intensity, increased to 12.1 percent during the period of June 8-12, also climbing 3 percentage points from the pre-introduction work week of May 25-29.

The Bing Experience
For the most part, Bing’s interface resembles that of today’s Live Search, with a large ‘cover image’ on the front page that surrounds the search box. The major difference in the user interface is the addition of guided searches in the left sidebar, though Microsoft says that the real changes are under the hood. The company argues that it can bring a new approach to Internet search by providing a richer, easier, and more organized search experience. This, for example, means that Bing will integrate data from consumer reviews when a search brings up a restaurant.

The Bing Algorithm
Microsoft claims to have used semantic algorithms in the build of their new search engine, dubbed “BING”. What is Bing anyways? Does it mean anything? One could argue to reason that Bing implies human being, or “binging it”, which could imply a slang for doing, searching, finding, etc… Will the phrase “Got Bing?” become as popular as “Got Milk?”. Only time will tell.

So what does this search engine have so far other than looks? Cosmetics is surely at the forefront of this new step-up but is there anything else planned? Does Microsoft want to gain the title of search king or are they happy with being software king?

Well, by using LSI in their search algorithms, the engine will help to deduce the meaning of phrases and words search, instead of solely providing results. This technology isn’t that new, but it will certainly play a huge role in shaping the future of search.  So say goodbye to MSN Live because as of June 3rd, 2009, it’s going to search engine heaven (or hell – where it could be repeatedly stabbed by Google). Ok you get the point – just gear up for the new engine!

Now the goal of Bing is rather unique. They want their users to experience a lot more for a lot less. The images will change, there will be hot-spots and info hubs, there will be many things that once was not. Are they intending to one-up Yahoo and the big G? Probably not, but it’s a helpful move in a positive direction.

The new MSN Bing will help online shoppers at best. It will give people ideas and information on shopping, travel, health, and fitness. This certainly is targeting a particular crowd as you can see. It may even turn into the world’s largest shopping “hub”. Time will tell for sure.

City searches trigger weather patterns, shopping searches brings up stores, and random searches give you a history plus ask for refinements. As you can see, things are heading into a very personal level. You can even view a video without clicking the link.

All of this stems from a study that Microsoft did in which they found, that 30% of users abandon their search for answers out of frustration. Will Bing be the answer to this problem? You be the judge – post your thoughts.

Bing Features

Interface features
* Daily changing of background image. The images are mostly of remarkable places in the world. The background image also contains information about the element(s) shown in the image. You can view the information by hovering over the image. The background images can be switched off and switched on
* Content sectioning of results (separate section for wallpaper, map, weather, fansites and more)
* Left side navigation pane. Includes navigation and, on resultspages, related searches and prior searches
* Right side extended preview with list of relevant or important urls from within the article
* Sublinks. On certain search results, the search result page also shows sectionlinks within the article
* Enhanced view where third party site information can be viewed insite Bing. This works for Wikipedia pages

Media features
* Video thumbnail Preview where, by hovering over a video thumbnail, the video automatically starts playing
* Image search with continuous scrolling images results page that has adjustable settings for size, layout, color, style and people.
* Video search with adjustable setting for length, screen size, resolution and source

Instant answers
* Sports. Bing can directly display scores from a specific day, recent scores from a league or scores and statistics on teams or players
* Finance. When entering a company name or stock symbol and either stock or quote in the search box Bing will show direct stock information like a stockchart, price, volume, and p/e ratio] in a webslice that users can subscribe to.
* Math calculations (2 * pi * 24). Users can enter math expressions in the search box a variety of math operators and (trig) functions and Bing will provide a direct calculation of the expression.
* Package tracking and tracing. When a user types the name of the shipping company and the tracking number Bing will provide direct tracking information.
* Plane ticket info. When ‘flights from (to)’ is entered in the search box in combination with city names or airport codes Bing provides info on ticket prices and a prediction for the future price trend
* Flight status. When ‘flight status’ and/or a flight number is entered in the Bing search box, Bing provides direct current information on the flight status of the particular flight.
* Car info
* Celebrity rankings (xRank)
* Celebrity news
* Encyclopedic answers (What is the capital of Germany?). If the search phrase entered in the search box contains information simple knowledge question which answer can be found in an encyclopia Bing provides a direct answer to the question from the Encarta encyclopedia.
* Dictionary. When ‘define’, ‘definition’ or ‘what is’ followed by a word is entered in the searchbox Bing will show a direct answer from the Encarta dictionary
* Best match (plus similar sites)
* Product shopping and Bing Cashback
* Health info

Local info
* Current traffic info
* Business listing
* People listing
* Collections
* Localized searching for restaurants and services
* Restaurant reviews
* Movies played in an area. When a current movie title is entered in the search box Bing will provide listings of local theaters showing the movie. When a city is added to the search box, Bing provides the movie listings localised for that city.
* City hotel listings. When ‘hotels’ and a city name is entered in the search box Bing can provide hotel listings with a map. The listing leads to a detail search page with the hotels listed that holds extended information on the hotels and contains links to reviews, directions reservations and bird eye view of the hotel. On the page with the listings the list can be refined by settings on ratings, pricing, amenities, payment and parking

Webmaster services
Bing allows webmasters to manage the web crawling status of their own websites through Bing Webmaster Center. Additionally, users may also submit contents to Bing via the following methods:

* Bing Local Listing Center allow businesses to add business listings onto Bing Maps and Bing Local

* Soapbox on MSN Video allow users to upload videos for searching via Bing Videos

Mobile services
Bing Mobile allow users to conduct search queries on their mobile devices, either via the mobile browser or a downloadable mobile application. In the United States, Microsoft also operates a toll-free number (1-800-BING-411) for directory assistance called Bing 411.