According to this Reuters article, Microsoft has decided to finally stop ignoring Google.

"We do view Google more and more as a competitor. We believe that we can provide consumers with a better product and a better user experience. That's something that we're actively looking at doing," Bob Visse, director of marketing for Microsoft's MSN Internet services division, said.
Visse said the company was making some significant investments in developing a better search engine. But the company has not offered specific plans.

Hmm. This will be interesting. It's always interesting when Microsoft decides to compete with you.

Hey, technically Microsoft is now a Yahoo customer, since they use Inktomi behind the scenes and Yahoo bought Inktomi. I wonder what this all means...

Posted by jzawodn at April 02, 2003 01:35 PM

Reader Comments
# Sterling Hughes said:

*cough*

on April 2, 2003 02:12 PM
# Gregg said:

What I wonder is: I suppose it's canon that it takes MS 3 tries to get things right. If that is true then I can't wait to see the first 2 versions.

In all seriousness I have read that natural text processing is a big segment of MS's research budget. Could that one day bear fruit?

on April 2, 2003 02:28 PM
# Dan Isaacs said:

Heh. I somehow don't think the company that has pop-ups on their search site could compete with the aesthetic of Google.

on April 2, 2003 08:47 PM
# nada said:

So we'll have a search engine that requires you to use IE to use?

on April 3, 2003 05:05 AM
# Vicki said:

> It's always interesting when Microsoft decides to compete with you.

As in "May you lead an interesting life"? No Thanks.

Sigh.

love google; hate M$

on April 4, 2003 11:01 AM
# Gerald said:

data retrieval and analysis is one of their mentioned goals. let's hope that MS will fail as this would be one more step towards big brother. Till now MS has occupied the PC environment, and if they succeed in web occupation all the trouble with security holes and bugs would drop out of the PCs and creep into our privacy ;-)

on April 5, 2003 01:35 AM
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