May 20th, 2009
Microsoft to show off new search: Will it matter?
If a company with 8 percent market share revamped its search engine would anyone notice? That’s the looming question as Microsoft prepares to unveil its search upgrade at the D: All Things Digital conference next week.
The long-awaited upgrade to Microsoft’s search engine will soon make its debut. This unveiling will be the long-awaited ‘Kumo’ search revamp.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said the company is expected to demonstrate it at our D: All Things Digital conference next week.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is scheduled to appear onstage at the event, a three-day event that hosts top players from the tech and media industries in interviews by AllThingsD.com Co-Executive Editors Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher.
Best line: “Sources with knowledge of the situation.” Did John, who writes for the outfit that puts on the conference, walk down the hall and ask Kara and Walt who was showing up? Seriously though, it’s unclear whether Microsoft can unveil much of anything that will matter.
Consider the comScore stats from April.
If Microsoft really wants to make search waves perhaps it should announce a deal with Yahoo. Other than that Microsoft can create the best search on the planet and still have a rough time grabbing share.
Also see: Kiev and Kumo: The long and winding road to Live Search’s rebrand
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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