"Microsoft Launches Revamped Search Engine"

Microsoft Launches Revamped Search Engine
By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE, AP Business Writer
Write Up by: Bilal Qureshi

An article posted on the Yahoo news page mentioned the release of Microsoft’s new search engine. It stated the complexity and time disadvantage associated with the old search engine, giving Microsoft the urge to revamp and re-launch a newer, faster and much efficient search engine. Windows Live Search, as the search engine is called promises to give its users fast search speeds and controlled search results along with other design features that other websites currently do not possess.

The software giant is piling its internet based services and products with its highly selling software in order to gain a bigger market share amongst the internet based firms. Other companies however, which specialize on internet search engines and services such as Yahoo and Google are not restricted from any aspect of competition since they are the major market leaders. They specialize in this form of business and Microsoft may find some difficulty to compete and to attract the users of Google and Yahoo. However, through changing the structure of generating search results, which is through asking questions, Microsoft aims to put pressure on Google. Hence keeps the potential to attract Google’s customers.

According to Barney’s framework, the question whether Microsoft can create value for its customer, or not, is to be considered. Since Google and Yahoo add up to hold about 70% of market share with Microsoft holding 11%, the idea of whether Microsoft can drag a big chunk of their customers into their market addresses the notion if it provides greater value for its customers. Where basis of differentiation is concerned, through Microsoft’s promise of delivering faster search speeds and better design specifications, it surely differentiates itself from its competitors. But where imitability is concerned, Microsoft itself is imitating the “Question your query” format as that of Google. So there is no doubt that faster search speeds and better design specifications cannot be imitated by Microsoft’s competitors.

Link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060308/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_internet_search;_ylt=AhWIueAD8QQvTsLfannkQk8jtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA----