Microsoft is quietly adding several search services to Windows Live to compete with its two major rivals, Google and Yahoo.
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| Source: Businessweek |
Through its PR agency, Microsoft confirmed that its two new search services are ready to launch: Windows Live Product Search to compete with Froogle and Academic Search to go head-to-head with Google Scholar. Both will be presented within Windows Live Search.
Previously, this information was also posted on the LiveSide blog, indicating that Live Product Search is described similarly to Google’s Froogle service. This service will compare prices of products while allowing users to search by category, brand, seller, or specific keywords. In addition to providing shopping guidance from experts and consumers, Product Search also allows access to articles or blogs that have discussed the product—something that Froogle lacks.
Scholar-like Search
Clearly, Academic Search has a direct competitor in Google Scholar. This service allows users to search for articles published in academic and specialized journals. Furthermore, it informs you whether that book (or article) is available in a library near your location.
According to information on LiveSide, Academic Search will allow you to view a summary or the entire article, as long as the article is not hosted on a subscription-based or restricted-access website. If desired, you can also purchase the article through the British Library service.
Last Friday, Microsoft stated that Academic Search would release a beta version before the end of September; however, the launch date for Product Search remains a secret.
Not long ago, Microsoft also launched Windows Live Image Search within Windows Live, very similar to Google’s image search service. Whenever you type in a keyword, you can click on the word “Images” to find corresponding images.
Tian Yi
