Microsoft upgrades search

Microsoft is set to launch on Wednesday the beta version of its new Windows Live Search page, which uses the same behind-the-scenes technology as MSN Search but will eventually become the company’s sole search offering.

“In the future there will be one search experience–when we come out of beta (with Windows Live Search), which won’t be years” from now, said Adam Sohn, director of MSN global sales, marketing and public relations. Sohn was making a reference to Google, whose products often stay in beta for years.

Microsoft merged MSN with Windows last summer and announced plans in November to offer Web-based services under the Windows Live name. Windows Live will combine e-mail, blogging, instant messaging and other services. MSN, meanwhile, will focus on content and media, Sohn said.

“This is the second major chapter in our overall effort to drive innovation in search,” Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of MSN information services, said in an interview Monday. “The first two-and-a-half years were about catching up and building the basic services…closing the gap with the current players” with regard to relevancy of search results.

Mehdi said Microsoft has closed the gap with Yahoo and is “within a couple of points of Google.”

Full story: CNET News.com