Bing luring Internet searchers: comScore

June 9, 2009

Visitors check out offerings at the stand of software giant Microsoft at the world's biggest high-tech fair, the CeBIT in March 2009 in Hanover. Microsoft's new Internet search engine Bing boosted the software giant's share of the US market in the week following its release, industry tracking firm comScore reported Tuesday.

Microsoft's new Internet search engine Bing boosted the software giant's share of the US market in the week following its release, industry tracking firm comScore reported Tuesday.

Microsoft's share of search results pages in the United States rose two percent to 11.1 percent the week after being rolled out, according to comScore.

"It appears to be off to a good start," said comScore vice president Mike Hurt.

"The ultimate performance of Bing depends on the extent to which it generates more trial through its extensive launch campaign and whether it retains those trial users."

Microsoft gave Bing a public debut on May 28 and said it would be deployed worldwide by June 1.

The US software colossus described Bing as a "Decision Engine" aimed at helping people make buying decisions, plan trips, research health matters or find local businesses.

Bing's launch came in the wake of Google and Yahoo! announcing refinements to their search services and the launch of a Wolfram Alpha query engine that delivers answers instead of lists of websites.

Bing replaces MSN Live Search, which has languished in a distant third place behind market-leading Google and second-place Yahoo!

(c) 2009 AFP