Microsoft Launches Redesigned and Improved Bing App
Giant tech firm Microsoft Inc. is completely repairing its Bing for iPhone app. While most search engines occur within the browser or Spotlight feature for iOS, Microsoft is betting on people downloading a powerful separate application to search the web without the use of Google.
According to Microsoft’s global head of search advertising Rik Van Der Kooi, “Our goal for the UK is to try to make it follow in the US’ footsteps as closely as we can.”
“Instead of having all searches revolve back to the search results page where you put the query in and get all the blue links, it is sort of making search more ambient in all the experiences,” Van Der Kooi added.
The Bing app has a new design with a minimal interface and a series of easy to use action buttons which aim to reduce the amount of typing users do to get relevant search results.
Microsoft reported that existing mobile search engines are similar to computer-based search engines. When using a phone, people are looking for faster ways to get results when searching, while minimizing the number of interactions. That is what Microsoft is planning to deliver with Bing.
Apple recently ramped up its Spotlight Search and Siri on iOS 9 to deliver more comprehensive search results that are more useful. However, Microsoft is surprisingly able to take things a bit further with their idea.
The focal point of the application is a search button that will launch a standard search for any topic with the use of words, voice, or an image. The quick search includes simple web queries, images, videos, news, maps, or restaurants nearby.
Although it is a stretch, after using the application for a while, users will certainly see its appeal. The new Bing for iPhone app is really helpful for providing useful results that are not a list of text or Wikipedia links.
Bing for iPhone will also launch the actual apps when you click the YouTube, Twitter, or other app icons.
Furthermore, the search engine will also open the relevant profile page of a movie or song that you actually searched for. That is actually more useful that Google’s own iOS application, which will simply load results within itself rather than try to connect up to the native iOS apps.
Microsoft Search Advertising Global Head Rik Van Der Kooi also stated that the company was prepared to launch Bing into the Skype platform to benefit users.
As stated by Van Der Kooi, “In the future we are thinking about not artificially pushing it in but maybe putting it in where it’s of use to the user. I could imagine a scenario where if you were either talking with somebody via Skype or chatting via Skype, that providing a search experience inside of Skype is a very valuable experience. And if it’s valuable to the user then we would consider it.”
On the other hand, Van Der Kooi refrained from criticizing Google, saying that Bing’s target is the broader market and not an individual competitor. However, he did say that both companies differed in their approach since Google is more reliant on advertising as a model.
The inclusion of the Bing Insights feature in the most recent version of Microsoft’s Office applications is driving use and awareness levels of the Microsoft search engine.
Users of Microsoft Office can right-click on a word or phrase and be provided with insights directly from the Bing index. Van Der Kooi also noted, “Bing makes other services more valuable to the user, where most users are starting to struggle is flipping back and forth between the many applications they have open at one time.”
Bing’s share will grow further when Microsoft’s deal to provide searches for AOL starts next year. It already worked with Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s Siri.
As stated by Van Der Kooi, “We always have more advertiser demand in our system and advertiser budget available than we can satisfy. So growing the scale of usage immediately means the overall business will grow.”
That would mean Microsoft wants more UK platform partners with quantity traffic to merge Bing into their offerings. “We are looking to add more global partners as well as UK specific partners. We have a clear strategy,” Van Der Kooi added.
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