6 ms·

Microsoft Dumping Bing?

19 points by narad 14y ago

stephengillie 14y ago
The Cnet article has actual references to the rumor origins: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-bing-secretly-for-sale/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-... ------- Edit: The rumors seem to be the confluence of a few data points: 1. Microsoft just sold 750 AOL patents to Facebook. 2. Microsoft execs contacted Facebook last year about buying Bing. 3. Yahoo is rumored to be negotiating a switch from Bing to Google. [1] [1] http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-yahoo-will-move-from-bing-to-google-095511220.html http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-y...
vasco 14y ago
"This forces Google to adjust all of its strategies to counter this threat. In so doing, Google must take its eye off the Android ball, allowing the Microsoft's Windows Phone and tablet initiative to catch up to Android." It seems like the author believes Google is a two person company which cannot compete on several fronts.
- tybris 14y ago
  I think the world record in questionable speculation was broken here.
  - frogly 14y ago
    forgotten the illegal invasion of iraq so quickly?
    - tybris 14y ago
      touché
- buu700 14y ago
  No, I'm pretty sure Google would need to move the entire Android team to Search if it wanted to compete with a Facebook-owned Bing.
  - bad_user 14y ago
    Android is the smartest things they did for their future since their platform for targeted ads. With Android they can exert control over the mobile platforms. Google Search, GMaps, GMail are the default on all Android devices and beyond. Now think of Apple. At some point they wanted to switch to Bing, but they didn't. Don't really know the details about why they didn't, but it's quite easy to make a guess ... I'm pretty sure Apple stayed with Google's Search, because otherwise Android phones would've had (at least) a branding advantage (Google is a synonym for search), not to mention that Google Search is still more potent than Bing. Without GSearch, they probably would have lost GMaps too. Then the argument for Android would have been: ooh, but it comes with GSearch, GMaps and GMail. Apple is not stupid, they couldn't put iOS at a disadvantage, in a world where every other phone comes with Google built-in. So you see, Android is the platform that keeps them relevant in a mobile world that's tightly controlled by carriers and walled app stores.
    - checkers 14y ago
      http://techiest.blogspot.com/ http://techiest.blogspot.com/
    - coob 14y ago
      > I'm pretty sure Apple stayed with Google's Search, because otherwise Android phones would've had (at least) a branding advantage Apple stay with Google's Search for two reasons: 1. It's the best search product. 2. Google give them bucket-loads of cash This isn't rocket surgery.
      - fpgeek 14y ago
        In the alternative universe where Google didn't do Android, Apple would be able to extract more cash from Google for its search placement, at the very least, since Google would have fewer alternatives.
- ticks 14y ago
  I find it odd how people think of businesses as one big entity that knows all, when in reality its loads of small teams, contractors, freelancers etc. sort-of working together. You get that complaint a lot from people who criticize broadcasters in particular.
- spqr 14y ago
  It appears you don't work at a large company. In large companies, even Google, there are loads of bureaucratic red tape and political bullshit that must be cut through to get anything company-changing done. It almost always takes the attention and support of the most senior level management to cut through this. If you need their attention you better hope they're not focused on something else at the moment.
baconhigh 14y ago
related to zerg-rush, perhaps?
gouranga 14y ago
"Tried" to dump Bing. If they succeed, I wonder how this will affect DuckDuckGo as I understand they source a lot of information via Bing.
- read_wharf 14y ago
  This was my immediate (and only) concern.
bawllz 14y ago
Funny that searching bing for any of the articles pertaining to this attempted sale comes up with nothing. Prove me wrong?
bad_user 14y ago
From the TFA: "hooking Yahoo, Bing, and Facebook" I can't possibly see what good can come out of that for Facebook. Bing could be matched with Facebook, in the same way Google+ is now linked with Google's search results. However the problem is that Google's Search is a near monopoly and it would be bad for Facebook to invest too much into this ... you don't defeat a company like Google by attacking it head on (Microsoft style), instead you are better off making it obsolete. Such a union would distract Facebook from improving things that actually matter, giving Google+ time to catch up. And hooking Yahoo with Facebook would not be in Facebook's best interests. Facebook needs to popularize its own distribution channels for news, its own online email service, its own instant messanger, its own photo sharing services. At this stage they are powerful enough to pass on cooperation and instead prefer to lock-in their existing user base, which is growing like crazy anyway. What Facebook must really do to survive Google is to do something about that shitty mobile app. Google is winning the distribution channels on mobiles because of Android, their search engine is the default on all smartphones, Google Maps too, Gmail is more and more popular ... so Facebook can't afford to not be in this game, because I don't have trouble seeing Google+ as the default on smartphones.
- hboon 14y ago
  Bing (search engine) + Facebook's demographic targeting sounds formidable to me actually.
- taligent 14y ago
  Few things need addressing here: - Google is the one that needs to survive Facebook. Not the other way around. Right now Facebook has the more compelling advertising platform that they are only starting to use (see: mobile). If companies do start moving money across it could do some immediate damage to Google's bottom line. - Google Maps is going to have a rocky road ahead if Apple does plan to release iMaps for iOS 6. And given the talent Apple acquired it could be something special. - Google+ will never be the default on iPhone. Twitter is. Facebook will be. The problem for Google is that they have made enemies of Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Twitter and Facebook. Not a good situation to be in.
  - 14y ago
meric 14y ago
Facebook buying Bing to fight against Google Search would be like buying a gunboat to fight a destroyer.
andrewfelix 14y ago
Why would anyone pay for Bing? It costs MSFT almost a billion a quarter and has around 4% market share.

19 points by narad 14y ago

The Cnet article has actual references to the rumor origins: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-bing-secretly-for-sale/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-... ------- Edit: The rumors seem to be the confluence of a few data points: 1. Microsoft just sold 750 AOL patents to Facebook. 2. Microsoft execs contacted Facebook last year about buying Bing. 3. Yahoo is rumored to be negotiating a switch from Bing to Google. [1] [1] http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-yahoo-will-move-from-bing-to-google-095511220.html http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-y...

vasco 14y ago

"This forces Google to adjust all of its strategies to counter this threat. In so doing, Google must take its eye off the Android ball, allowing the Microsoft's Windows Phone and tablet initiative to catch up to Android." It seems like the author believes Google is a two person company which cannot compete on several fronts.

tybris 14y ago
I think the world record in questionable speculation was broken here.
- frogly 14y ago
  forgotten the illegal invasion of iraq so quickly?
  - tybris 14y ago
    touché
buu700 14y ago
No, I'm pretty sure Google would need to move the entire Android team to Search if it wanted to compete with a Facebook-owned Bing.
- bad_user 14y ago
  Android is the smartest things they did for their future since their platform for targeted ads. With Android they can exert control over the mobile platforms. Google Search, GMaps, GMail are the default on all Android devices and beyond. Now think of Apple. At some point they wanted to switch to Bing, but they didn't. Don't really know the details about why they didn't, but it's quite easy to make a guess ... I'm pretty sure Apple stayed with Google's Search, because otherwise Android phones would've had (at least) a branding advantage (Google is a synonym for search), not to mention that Google Search is still more potent than Bing. Without GSearch, they probably would have lost GMaps too. Then the argument for Android would have been: ooh, but it comes with GSearch, GMaps and GMail. Apple is not stupid, they couldn't put iOS at a disadvantage, in a world where every other phone comes with Google built-in. So you see, Android is the platform that keeps them relevant in a mobile world that's tightly controlled by carriers and walled app stores.
  - checkers 14y ago
    http://techiest.blogspot.com/ http://techiest.blogspot.com/
  - coob 14y ago
    > I'm pretty sure Apple stayed with Google's Search, because otherwise Android phones would've had (at least) a branding advantage Apple stay with Google's Search for two reasons: 1. It's the best search product. 2. Google give them bucket-loads of cash This isn't rocket surgery.
    - fpgeek 14y ago
      In the alternative universe where Google didn't do Android, Apple would be able to extract more cash from Google for its search placement, at the very least, since Google would have fewer alternatives.
ticks 14y ago
I find it odd how people think of businesses as one big entity that knows all, when in reality its loads of small teams, contractors, freelancers etc. sort-of working together. You get that complaint a lot from people who criticize broadcasters in particular.
spqr 14y ago
It appears you don't work at a large company. In large companies, even Google, there are loads of bureaucratic red tape and political bullshit that must be cut through to get anything company-changing done. It almost always takes the attention and support of the most senior level management to cut through this. If you need their attention you better hope they're not focused on something else at the moment.

baconhigh 14y ago

related to zerg-rush, perhaps?

gouranga 14y ago

"Tried" to dump Bing. If they succeed, I wonder how this will affect DuckDuckGo as I understand they source a lot of information via Bing.

read_wharf 14y ago
This was my immediate (and only) concern.

bawllz 14y ago

Funny that searching bing for any of the articles pertaining to this attempted sale comes up with nothing. Prove me wrong?

bad_user 14y ago

From the TFA: "hooking Yahoo, Bing, and Facebook" I can't possibly see what good can come out of that for Facebook. Bing could be matched with Facebook, in the same way Google+ is now linked with Google's search results. However the problem is that Google's Search is a near monopoly and it would be bad for Facebook to invest too much into this ... you don't defeat a company like Google by attacking it head on (Microsoft style), instead you are better off making it obsolete. Such a union would distract Facebook from improving things that actually matter, giving Google+ time to catch up. And hooking Yahoo with Facebook would not be in Facebook's best interests. Facebook needs to popularize its own distribution channels for news, its own online email service, its own instant messanger, its own photo sharing services. At this stage they are powerful enough to pass on cooperation and instead prefer to lock-in their existing user base, which is growing like crazy anyway. What Facebook must really do to survive Google is to do something about that shitty mobile app. Google is winning the distribution channels on mobiles because of Android, their search engine is the default on all smartphones, Google Maps too, Gmail is more and more popular ... so Facebook can't afford to not be in this game, because I don't have trouble seeing Google+ as the default on smartphones.

hboon 14y ago
Bing (search engine) + Facebook's demographic targeting sounds formidable to me actually.
taligent 14y ago
Few things need addressing here: - Google is the one that needs to survive Facebook. Not the other way around. Right now Facebook has the more compelling advertising platform that they are only starting to use (see: mobile). If companies do start moving money across it could do some immediate damage to Google's bottom line. - Google Maps is going to have a rocky road ahead if Apple does plan to release iMaps for iOS 6. And given the talent Apple acquired it could be something special. - Google+ will never be the default on iPhone. Twitter is. Facebook will be. The problem for Google is that they have made enemies of Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Twitter and Facebook. Not a good situation to be in.
- 14y ago

meric 14y ago

Facebook buying Bing to fight against Google Search would be like buying a gunboat to fight a destroyer.

andrewfelix 14y ago

Why would anyone pay for Bing? It costs MSFT almost a billion a quarter and has around 4% market share.