Microsoft Officially Launches MSN Search

[Tami]

Microsoft Officially Launches MSN Search
by Chris Richardson

It's time to welcome another search engine into the family. This morning at 12:00 am, Microsoft removed the beta designation from MSN Search and officially launched, complete with an improved index and a redesigned MSN.com homepage.

While versions of MSN Search have been available since early last year, today marks Microsoft's official entry into the competitive search engine industry. MSN Search is also the first engine developed from the ground up by Microsoft, using a proprietary index. Previous versions of MSN Search used the Yahoo/Inktomi search index.

Separating Microsoft's launch from other launches is the large advertising campaign expected from the boys at Redmond. Currently, the redesigned MSN.com homepage features ads and links asking visitors to take a tour of the official engine. Accompanying the official launch was a letter from Bill Gates.

In the letter, Gates officially introduces MSN Search, while touting some of the features included: "Our mission at Microsoft is to use the power of software to solve our customers' toughest problems. Searching the Internet today is a challenge, and it is estimated that nearly half of customers' complex questions go unanswered. That's why we're proud of our new MSN Search service, a simple and powerful tool that helps you find the answers you want from sources as diverse as Web pages, images, news headlines, music downloads, and even files on your PC."

Another event signified by the official launch was Microsoft's move away from using Yahoo's search technology. The thinking seems to be this: if you want to compete in what Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineWatch calls the search wars, you should bring your own weapons, not borrow someone else's. Interestingly enough, although MSN Search uses Microsoft-designed technology to provide search services; they are still using Yahoo-owned Overture to deliver PPC advertising.

Microsoft added a few bells and whistles to MSN Search that weren't available on previous beta builds. One of major additions is the incorporation of MSN Search into other MSN products, like MSN Messenger, Hotmail, and MSN's homepage, to name a few. However, not only has Microsoft made search the focus of their web presence, they also added some additional features to the search engine as well. The following is a sampling of MSN Search options:

Encarta Answers: MSN Search now features Instant Answers from MSN Encarta. Use MSN Search as a quick reference tool for easy access to information about geographical locations, historical figures and everyday facts.

Music Search: The new MSN Search gives you instant access to MSN Music by providing artist information and sample song clips at the top of your search results.

News Search: With content from thousands of news services, News Search gives you the scoop on the latest events and news stories from around the web.

Danny also had an additional list of features offered by MSN Search. The highlights:

Search Results Via Feed/RSS: A new &format=rss parameter added to the end of any search will allow you to receive those search results via RSS. The feature is still very much in testing, and our MSN Search Makes RSS Search Feeds Official article explains it more.

Feed Discovery: New tools to help you locate and find feed content from across the web are available, though as part of the MSN portal rather than the MSN Search site itself. Our My MSN Adds Feed Discovery Support article explains more about these.

MSN Search also offers direct answers, otherwise known as search engine shortcuts. Like many of its competitors, MSN Search can provide word definitions, mathematic calculations, conversions, sports information, and more. These features are included not only to improve user satisfaction, but also to give people a viable alternative to the current industry standards (Yahoo, Google). The question is: have they succeeded in doing so?

Danny Sullivan has some thoughts on the matter. "The core search engine is good and a welcomed new "search voice" in the space. However, it does not make a massive leap beyond what's offered by Google, Yahoo or Ask Jeeves -- the other three major search companies that provide their own voices of what's deemed relevant on the web."

Has MSN Search done enough to eclipse the entrenched engines? Or is that even the goal? Is this town big enough for all these players? John Battelle thinks so.

"Like Yahoo before it, Microsoft can now embark on its own path, and I expect we'll see a lot of innovation coming out of Redmond. That's good for everyone. Welcome to the party (officially), MSFT! Now it gets interesting...."

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