RSSDoes Bing have a future?
By Carmi Levy | Published June 4, 2009, 2:22 PM
I've never been addicted to drugs, but watching Microsoft's seemingly never-ending drive to introduce a search engine that sticks helps me understand why the company simply can't say no.
First, the Redmond software giant's bread and butter, Windows and Office, are failing businesses. Although they're still hugely profitable, selling boxes of disc-based software is yesterday's business model. Microsoft needs to replace those revenue streams. Soon.
Second, search is key to online supremacy. If we trust search, we're more inclined to trust the related online services, too. Which means we'll spend more time using them -- which ultimately drives advertising. Remember that part about replacing revenue streams?
Bing is Microsoft's most serious effort yet to challenge Google's dominance in search. Sure, we heard the same thing when Windows Live Search was announced, and when MSN Search came out. In fact we've heard the same thing every time they've rebranded, relaunched, and remarketed the same basic search service over the last decade. And every time they've convinced us that their offering really was different, we played with it for a few minutes, yawned, and went right back to using Google.
And there's the problem: Microsoft has been so busy trying to out-Google Google that it's failed to establish a compelling story of its own. If Windows Live Search was such a great service on its own merits, Microsoft wouldn't have had to pay folks to use it.
But on the assumption that Bing really is worthy of more than a five-minute peek, and on the assumption that it's categorically better than Google in its ability to find the things we're really looking for, as it stands now Microsoft is still on the search road to nowhere. Here's why:
Time marches on. Just because something's good enough today doesn't necessarily mean it'll be good enough tomorrow. Google has mastered the art of rapid, iterative feature releases. Competitors can't afford to introduce tools that benchmark Google on a point-in-time basis. Rather, they must view product development as a continuous process that rewards first-to-market players and spanks everyone else. It's a cultural thing, and Microsoft's culture needs a reboot in this regard.
What Microsoft must do: Massively increase its R&D investments in Bing to keep the feature pipeline stuffed to the gills. Toss out the roadmap that focuses solely on big bang product updates and instead empower small teams of independently managed developers to rapidly incubate new features and distribute them online on a near-continuous basis.
Windows and Office are irrelevant. Microsoft's own franchises often work at cross purposes to each other. It doesn't dare introduce a fully capable, advertising- or subscription-supported, Web-based version of Office because it could cannibalize existing sales of Office 2007. Similarly -- and with the notable Mac exception -- it shies away from promoting its products on non-Windows platforms for fear of weakening the Windows ecosystem. Google, unencumbered by such legacy, has no such worries.
What Microsoft must do: Be willing to undercut its Windows and Office franchises by pushing Bing-based services on every viable platform. Only by actively marketing Bing on any device running any operating system can Microsoft preserve the critical mass of users that have grown up using Microsoft products. Otherwise, as Google's online services become ever more capable, users will have fewer reasons to stick with Microsoft.
So is Windows Mobile. As much as Android represents Google's most serious attempt to claim its turf in the mobile market, it hasn't forgotten other platforms, either. Google's Web-based apps play just as nicely on a BlackBerry or iPhone as they do on a G1 or G2. It isn't enough to have integrated Bing apps available only on Windows Mobile devices.
What Microsoft must do: Rush out mobile apps on all major platforms that deliver rich end-user experiences no matter whose logo is on the hardware. Microsoft must also work closely with carriers to include pre-installed bundles on smartphones and feature phones, and to incorporate the logo into ongoing marketing to get on-the-go types to think Bing first.
"If Windows Live Search was such a great service on its own merits, Microsoft wouldn't have had to pay folks to use it." |
Fast forward to this week, and as much fun as I had playing with Bing, I didn't find the experience transformative. I went back to using Google after an hour because despite the fact that Microsoft clearly caught up, it hadn't leapfrogged the industry. Microsoft needs another paradigm shift over the next year or two if it hopes to break the Google addiction of folks like me. That shift will come in three areas:
1. Applications. Truly Office-like apps that are as straightforward and cross-platform friendly as Google Mail and Google Docs would be a nice start. Seamless cloud-based storage -- SkyDrive, anyone? -- would seal the deal for me. Right now, Windows Live is a ponderous offering that pales in comparison to Google's offerings.
2. Cross-platform utility. Bing search (and the related services that I'm hoping Microsoft is already working on) must integrate as cleanly on a laptop as on a BlackBerry or iPhone. Otherwise, there's no reason for anyone to dump Google.
3. Innovation. Microsoft's culture needs to shift to one that supports near-constant introduction of incremental improvements to its core online properties. Greater agility here will allow it to shift from me-too introductions to paradigm-shifting ones that make it easier to justify switching.
Bing could be the core brand that solidifies Microsoft's go-forward online strategy. But to get anywhere, Microsoft must be willing to turn its misdirected addiction to failing search strategies and non-integrated applications into something more comprehensive, disruptive and ultimately transformational. Does it have the guts?
Carmi Levy is a Canadian-based independent technology analyst and journalist still trying to live down his past life leading help desks and managing projects for large financial services organizations. He comments extensively in a wide range of media, and works closely with clients to help them leverage technology and social media tools and processes to drive their business.
Does Bing have a future?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Score: -1
|as long a microsoft continues to throw money into it,
it will have some kind of a future.
its doubtful that microsoft will throw in the towel, however.
if they do, then all of that market share will fall into googles lap.
Score: 1
|"Does Bing have a future?"
NO!
Score: 1
|Ladies and Gentlemen - it's time to "Bing!" and decide.
Score: -1
|Um, perhaps the tech media needs to get its head out its arse, quit snorting whatever it is, and get in touch with reality.
Online apps and storage have as much of a chance as online grocers did 10 years ago.
First, just who is going to have all this bandwidth? For every WalMart there are 20 Joe's Fishbait. Joe may not even have a DSL line, but I'll guarantee that he has Office and Quickbooks.
Second, this seems a lot like the 1990s server-client offerings with a different skin. Still comes down to available bandwidth.
Third, not everyone trusts their data outside their own walls. I don't care who you are, data escapes. And, there's no guarantee that any company will exist 3 yaers from now. GM anyone?
I think MS will somehow stumble along with an OS, apps, and servers.
Instead of being part of the choir, why not do a little creative thinking?
Score: 1
|I think the the authors of this rant forgot how integrated windows live search is in windows 7, and will be from other OS's on... far more then it is in Vista. Just like how They dominate in web browsers when Netscape owned that years ago... Microsoft found away to CRUSH them. They will do it again, simply by making it a complete part of their OS and perhaps part of their mobile windows OS as well. And of course, someone will sue them.. but it doesn't matter... in the end they will dominate. I personally use Firefox, but everyone else in this house uses IE7 or 8.
Score: 0
|"I think the the authors of this rant forgot how integrated windows live search is in windows 7"
I think *you* forgot that Microsoft's "Line" services are no longer integrated into the OS but are optional downloads....
Perhaps you are referring to Desktop Search? Or are you calling the IE default "integration"?
Score: 0
|Thats not true. No matter how much ppl hate Microsoft, there would be no world computing industry like we know it today. Open source community is nothing. Sure it's free and to be honest, quality is in general a reflaction of that. Like Linux that is struggling for years and they just can't standardize anything. Bunch of distros, different front ends, half working standards. Why doy ou think no one wants to bother with countless versions of distros where you can work only on Windows XP and Windows Vista where standards, even though mostly closed ones are defined well and enforced by a 3rd party so everyone follow the rules. Thats the way how Linux should operate. There should be someone saying this has to be like that and period. But now everyone make their own version of the same thing differently and there you have a mess.
Bottom line, Windows and Office does matter A LOT. What's the first association when you hear word "Microsoft"? It's Windows OS. And Office. Everything else they offer are things to fill the gaps. Microsoft is a corporation and it operates as such. Just like for example Sony. Sure their PS3 doesn't sell that well but they compensate that with LCD TV's and other hardware that may sell exceptionally well. The things may change next time and console will be selling beyond anything else where LCD's may sell worse. But in the end they have the same income because they cover different segments. And thats Bing. If there will be issues with the Windows/Office market, other segments like search engine, mail service, consoles, PC accessories will still bring income. If you just manufacture and sell LCD's and if that segment is going bad, you have a problem. But not these corporations. Sure they are still hurt, but not nearly as bad as those who just do one thing.
Score: -1
|Perhaps we are simply evolving into another phase.
Historically Microsoft has simply been the provider of the basic software that enables hardware to be widely sold. This worked pretty well and a lot of people made tons of money for a long time - but over the last few years it's become unsatisfactory for a number of reasons:-
- Very bad press over a long period of time.
- A perception of Detroit like quality (often justified).
- A general feeling that everything to to with software should be free!
It's pretty clear that Open Source Software as written by people in their spare time is usually not of the type & polish that would generally be useful to the average user. Particularly as most want things (in Steve Jobs' words) to work like a toaster..
However, the attraction of non-Microsoft software does seem to be gaining traction with hardware vendors who are starting to put resources into Open Source - intel is a prime example. And of course there are now a number of companies who make money supporting it (Red Hat - Canonical to name a couple) or who strongly support if for other reasons (Google).
Maybe in the next couple of years this will start to produce something realistic and we will start to see a real alternative OS. This could attract ports of various very popular apps & the increasing trend to produce impressive browser based apps that can be used off-line certainly wouldn't hurt!
The end for Microsoft?
Hardly - they will be forced to really sort themselves out though! Indeed - you might say that process has already started!
Score: 0
|Bing does have a future. I would say it would be next to impossible to get rid of Google as they own big time when it comes to search and even maps. BUT. I have, and believe there is, a growing hatred of Adobe. Flash has turned into a POS and I would use bing for maps and search if only to have the cool features that Google has offered with flash but in Silverlight form. SO that is my personal bias but that aside, I have been seeing more and more sites linking to Bing maps. I absolutely LOVE microsoft maps. It looks so much nicer than Google. Just yesterday I was doing a side by side comparison of maps and in this case weather tracking that used Google on one side and Bing/Microsoft Mappoint on the other. WOW. I now have the Microsoft version on my home page -- WHICH, incidently is iGoogle. :-D
Listen. FORGET about who will win what! What matters is that competition will make both of these companies do better and without Microsoft pushing raising the bar, Google would have little reason to raise the bar and this kind of trend is usually very good news for us as the end user!
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