Friday, March 22, 2008
Windows Live Brand Confusion
I find the recent branding work by Microsoft interesting... especially as they seem to be falling -- yet again -- into the same issues I document in my book about Microsoft and what's next. For starters, as Todd Bishop notes in his Microsoft Blog (available at Seattle PI Tech section), the company can't make up its mind if it is going to promote MSN, Windows Live or Microsoft Live -- and as the users comment note, no one can quite figure out the difference between these different services -- even employees themselves!
Secondly, and less important, Microsoft hasn't yet figured out what Apple knew years ago -- that using
one consistent naming convention, and one consistent metaphor -- communicates better than any particular concept or even the depth or
usefulness of the product. In a particularly apt example, Apple promoted and used its Sherlock Search facility for years as a core component
of their desktop feature set. This promotion took place even though the feature wasn't actually very good at all (and has since been replaced by
Spotlight in OS X. However, the key point being CONSISTENCY. Um, and Microsoft -- Sherlock was a core component of Apple's OS... and you might
not want to remind folks of that other, competing operating platform. Just a thought.
Here's a further excerpt from Todd Bishop's Blog:
The identities of Microsoft's two online brands, MSN and Windows Live, have been a subject of confusion since the company launched the latter a few years ago. So it was interesting -- and a bit perplexing -- to see these billboards show up in Seattle recently.
Here's why: Microsoft has positioned MSN as a destination for "programmed content," such as the MSN.com portal, MSN Video and MSN Games. Windows Live, on the other hand, has been designated as a place for communications (Hotmail, Messenger), user-generated content (Spaces), and information retrieval/question answering (Live Search).
At first glance, the messages on these billboards seem more about retrieving information or answering questions: "Sherlock had Watson. You have us," reads one, south of downtown Seattle. Of course, that puts the consumer in the role of the famous fictional detective, digging for clues ... and MSN in the role of the not-nearly-as-sharp sidekick.
Tuesday, January 30, 2008
Office 2007... Why Isn't It Truly Online?
As usual, Slate nails it....
Office 2007 is still driving me nuts because I don't know where things went. But now I can see where it's going, and I can see the future me happily pecking away in Word 2007. But that leaves me wondering: If they really wanted to redesign Office from scratch, why not do like Google Docs & Spreadsheets and offer a full-featured Web-based version? I'd be happy with that right now, not in some indefinite future.
Office 2007 is still driving me nuts because I don't know where things went. But now I can see where it's going, and I can see the future me happily pecking away in Word 2007. But that leaves me wondering: If they really wanted to redesign Office from scratch, why not do like Google Docs & Spreadsheets and offer a full-featured Web-based version? I'd be happy with that right now, not in some indefinite future.
Monday, January 1, 2008
Ballmer dispels notion that Vista is last client OS
Why do you feel the need to be so defensive about this, Steve?
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Ballmer on Monday attempted to end rumors that Windows Vista will be the last Windows client OS, claiming that Microsoft has "plenty more where that came from" at a press event to mark the consumer launch of the new OS and Office 2007 in New York.
Sitting alongside executives from some of Microsoft's most important partners -- such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell -- Ballmer said there is plenty of room for innovation on the PC, and Microsoft plans to continue to build upon the user-interface, security and multimedia enhancements in Vista.
"We've got a very long list of stuff our engineers want to do, a long list of stuff all of the companies here want us to do," he said. "There are so many areas where we need innovation."
However, Ballmer was hesitant to talk much about what comes after Vista, dodging a question about if and when customers will see the first service pack for Vista. "We'll put one out if we need to," he said.
-- From Elizabeth Montalbano of IDG News Service
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Ballmer on Monday attempted to end rumors that Windows Vista will be the last Windows client OS, claiming that Microsoft has "plenty more where that came from" at a press event to mark the consumer launch of the new OS and Office 2007 in New York.
Sitting alongside executives from some of Microsoft's most important partners -- such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell -- Ballmer said there is plenty of room for innovation on the PC, and Microsoft plans to continue to build upon the user-interface, security and multimedia enhancements in Vista.
"We've got a very long list of stuff our engineers want to do, a long list of stuff all of the companies here want us to do," he said. "There are so many areas where we need innovation."
However, Ballmer was hesitant to talk much about what comes after Vista, dodging a question about if and when customers will see the first service pack for Vista. "We'll put one out if we need to," he said.
-- From Elizabeth Montalbano of IDG News Service
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Reasons to Give Vista a Chance
Here's the teaser from the San Jose Mercury News...
Little things matter.
Vista, the new computer operating system from Microsoft, is a collection of little improvements that will save you a lot of time and grief in your daily computing.
Microsoft is billing Vista as making it ``easier, safer and more fun'' to use your PC. Nobody can be sure that Vista delivers on this until it's battle-tested in the real world, but early tests by millions of guinea pigs so far suggests Vista meets its goals. It's the first real makeover of Microsoft's Windows operating system for computers since Windows XP debuted in 2001.
Consumer versions of Vista debut Jan. 30: Home Basic for $199 and Home Premium for $239. Ultimate, for $399, is for power users or small businesses. I've played around with Vista on four different machines and know enough to say what I like about it.
It hasn't crashed on me. On reliability, compatibility or security, it should be better than previous versions of Windows, says Joel Durham, author of ``Windows Vista Ultimate Bible,'' (Wiley, 2007) an upcoming book on the most expensive version of Vista. We'll find out for sure once hardware and software companies finish shipping thousands of ``drivers,'' or programs that ensure Vista works with the computer's hardware. When I asked Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates how he felt about developing Windows Vista over five years, he said, ``Best $6 billion I ever spent.'' Is it worth your money? Well, lucky for Bill, it is.
Little things matter.
Vista, the new computer operating system from Microsoft, is a collection of little improvements that will save you a lot of time and grief in your daily computing.
Microsoft is billing Vista as making it ``easier, safer and more fun'' to use your PC. Nobody can be sure that Vista delivers on this until it's battle-tested in the real world, but early tests by millions of guinea pigs so far suggests Vista meets its goals. It's the first real makeover of Microsoft's Windows operating system for computers since Windows XP debuted in 2001.
Consumer versions of Vista debut Jan. 30: Home Basic for $199 and Home Premium for $239. Ultimate, for $399, is for power users or small businesses. I've played around with Vista on four different machines and know enough to say what I like about it.
It hasn't crashed on me. On reliability, compatibility or security, it should be better than previous versions of Windows, says Joel Durham, author of ``Windows Vista Ultimate Bible,'' (Wiley, 2007) an upcoming book on the most expensive version of Vista. We'll find out for sure once hardware and software companies finish shipping thousands of ``drivers,'' or programs that ensure Vista works with the computer's hardware. When I asked Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates how he felt about developing Windows Vista over five years, he said, ``Best $6 billion I ever spent.'' Is it worth your money? Well, lucky for Bill, it is.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Get on the Vista Bus...
As Hunter news notes, Microsoft’s Windows Vista is launching with this cool bus tour thingy, for whatever its worth...
It's a tour bus wrapped in a desktop theme, carrying a band of self-styled “Vista influencers” to Cincinnati, Charlotte and other third-tier cities. I mocked this wannabe-rockstar idea savagely on IM yesterday: “Alright Gainesville! Are you ready to get CRAZY for Windows Vista!” but woke up this morning feeling guilty. These guys are getting on a goddamn bus to meet their customers. It could be a Cluetrain adventure. At worst, it’s a lot cheaper than a Vista Gulfstream Tour.
It's a tour bus wrapped in a desktop theme, carrying a band of self-styled “Vista influencers” to Cincinnati, Charlotte and other third-tier cities. I mocked this wannabe-rockstar idea savagely on IM yesterday: “Alright Gainesville! Are you ready to get CRAZY for Windows Vista!” but woke up this morning feeling guilty. These guys are getting on a goddamn bus to meet their customers. It could be a Cluetrain adventure. At worst, it’s a lot cheaper than a Vista Gulfstream Tour.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Naked Emperor: Microsoft & Novell Deal
Mary Jo Foley interviews Jeremy Allison who is free to dish on the Microsoft Novell deal now that his tenure at Novell has ended. One of many good lines:
A nagging doubt is that if I had just spoken out louder against the deal I might have been able to change something, but I was too quiet until too late. It’s *hard* to be the one saying the emperor has no clothes, especially whilst listening to others praising the finery of the silk stitching :-) .
(originally cited by Microsoft News Tracker
A nagging doubt is that if I had just spoken out louder against the deal I might have been able to change something, but I was too quiet until too late. It’s *hard* to be the one saying the emperor has no clothes, especially whilst listening to others praising the finery of the silk stitching :-) .
(originally cited by Microsoft News Tracker
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Vista: Kinda Secure, Maybe
Under the headline "Vista's Secure, Not Perfect", the CRN network is publishing this comment from the Vista Product Manager:
"The finding of vulnerabilities in any software is to be expected," said Stephen Toulouse, senior product manager with Microsoft's security technology group, in a blog posting earlier this week. "This is all part of the process of creating complex software today, and no one is immune to it. It's not, as they say, big news to us in the security industry."
No big news here, huh?
"The finding of vulnerabilities in any software is to be expected," said Stephen Toulouse, senior product manager with Microsoft's security technology group, in a blog posting earlier this week. "This is all part of the process of creating complex software today, and no one is immune to it. It's not, as they say, big news to us in the security industry."
No big news here, huh?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Vista Released, Ho Hum
Even with all the touted improvements, analysts expect Vista to only gradually appear on corporate PCs, especially in big organizations where upgrading can be a costly, complicated affair. Gartner Dataquest predicts that it will be 2010 before Vista outnumbers the previous operating system, Windows XP, on business computers.
Big companies need to test internal business applications on Vista before a company can switch its PCs to the new operating system, a process that Gartner analyst Michael Silver estimates at 12 to 18 months in many cases.
In the meantime, the last operating system, Windows XP, works just fine for most companies -- especially with a security-enhancing patch known as Service Pack 2 that Microsoft released in 2004.
Kamal Anand, chief technology officer for TradeStone Software Inc., a Gloucester, Mass.-based provider of supply-chain software, examined test versions of Vista and Office and found ''no compelling need'' to upgrade his company's 100 PCs and laptops anytime soon. Instead, Anand expects Vista and Office to slowly permeate TradeStone as it buys new PCs for employees in coming years.
''Nobody wants to go through the extra time and effort and money to upgrade an existing, well-working system,'' he said.
Big companies need to test internal business applications on Vista before a company can switch its PCs to the new operating system, a process that Gartner analyst Michael Silver estimates at 12 to 18 months in many cases.
In the meantime, the last operating system, Windows XP, works just fine for most companies -- especially with a security-enhancing patch known as Service Pack 2 that Microsoft released in 2004.
Kamal Anand, chief technology officer for TradeStone Software Inc., a Gloucester, Mass.-based provider of supply-chain software, examined test versions of Vista and Office and found ''no compelling need'' to upgrade his company's 100 PCs and laptops anytime soon. Instead, Anand expects Vista and Office to slowly permeate TradeStone as it buys new PCs for employees in coming years.
''Nobody wants to go through the extra time and effort and money to upgrade an existing, well-working system,'' he said.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Microsoft: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
NY Times reports that Microsoft has gained money in servers (hurting Oracle, Sun, et al), but continues to bleed money in the Internet services business. Guess which part of the IT market is growing by leaps and bounds? Hint: it's not servers. See below for details.
Microsoft reported solid quarterly results yesterday that slightly surpassed Wall Street expectations, with sales growth driven by its Xbox game business and software for server computers. Both revenue and profit rose 11 percent.
Microsoft’s chief executive, Steven A. Ballmer, says Web sites like MSN give the company an online presence, adding that it has Web initiatives.
Demand for the company’s software for corporate databases and servers grew strongly, with sales up 17 percent, to $2.5 billion. Sales of Xbox game consoles, software and online game subscriptions jumped 70 percent, to more than $1 billion. Those two businesses accounted for most of Microsoft’s revenue growth in the quarter, the first in the company’s 2007 fiscal year.
Microsoft’s Internet services business, which competes with Google, Yahoo and others, continues to struggle. Revenue declined, and the unit lost $136 million.
Microsoft reported solid quarterly results yesterday that slightly surpassed Wall Street expectations, with sales growth driven by its Xbox game business and software for server computers. Both revenue and profit rose 11 percent.
Microsoft’s chief executive, Steven A. Ballmer, says Web sites like MSN give the company an online presence, adding that it has Web initiatives.
Demand for the company’s software for corporate databases and servers grew strongly, with sales up 17 percent, to $2.5 billion. Sales of Xbox game consoles, software and online game subscriptions jumped 70 percent, to more than $1 billion. Those two businesses accounted for most of Microsoft’s revenue growth in the quarter, the first in the company’s 2007 fiscal year.
Microsoft’s Internet services business, which competes with Google, Yahoo and others, continues to struggle. Revenue declined, and the unit lost $136 million.
posted by N Hayes at
7:15 AM
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Thursday, October 26, 2006
Vista cracked
Briefly, I worked for Microsoft's Security Business Unit (or whatever it was called). Trying to sell security software made by Microsoft -- even next gen stuff -- was a lot of bullshit spinning. So it's kind of nice to see some of it start to UN-SPIN in the Vista world.
Microsoft is furious after a security outfit Authentium worked out a way of disabling one of the security features on Vista.
According to PC Magazine, Authentium has managed to switch off Vole's PatchGuard software so that it could install its own security systems.
Vole has vowed to work quickly to make sure that Authentium's hack does not work. It said it would be doing this for the good of the user as those who do not use PatchGuard could find themselves vulnerable to attack.
However all this puts Microsoft in a strategic position it does not want to be. In the past, Vole only had to worry about hackers and crackers, now it appears that legitimate security companies are now going to start looking for holes in which they can stick their software.
Not only that, any move that Microsoft makes to close those holes used by legitimate security companies are going to attract the attention of anti-trust regulators. Those in the EU are particularly concerned that Vole is using its dominance of the operating system market to shut out rival security vendors.
The move by Authentium is a shot over the bows of the Mighty Vole as a warning of what the software giant might be letting itself in for if it does not let them into Vista.
By Nick Farrell: Thursday 26 October 2006, 08:12
Microsoft is furious after a security outfit Authentium worked out a way of disabling one of the security features on Vista.
According to PC Magazine, Authentium has managed to switch off Vole's PatchGuard software so that it could install its own security systems.
Vole has vowed to work quickly to make sure that Authentium's hack does not work. It said it would be doing this for the good of the user as those who do not use PatchGuard could find themselves vulnerable to attack.
However all this puts Microsoft in a strategic position it does not want to be. In the past, Vole only had to worry about hackers and crackers, now it appears that legitimate security companies are now going to start looking for holes in which they can stick their software.
Not only that, any move that Microsoft makes to close those holes used by legitimate security companies are going to attract the attention of anti-trust regulators. Those in the EU are particularly concerned that Vole is using its dominance of the operating system market to shut out rival security vendors.
The move by Authentium is a shot over the bows of the Mighty Vole as a warning of what the software giant might be letting itself in for if it does not let them into Vista.
By Nick Farrell: Thursday 26 October 2006, 08:12
posted by N Hayes at
8:50 AM
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
Microsoft releases new Web browser
IE 7.0 new release is more in line with competing products such as Opera Software ASA's Opera and Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox. Internet Explorer 7, or IE7, adds features such as tabbed browsing, which lets people open several Web pages without cluttering their desktop with multiple open browser windows.
Microsoft has been heavily testing the new browser, releasing five beta versions over 14 months, and has periodically offered security updates for IE6, first released in 2001.
Still, a lag of more than five years between official releases has cost the company. Web analysis company WebSideStory estimates that Internet Explorer's U.S. market share is about 86 percent, while Firefox commands about 11 percent of the market and smaller offerings account for the rest. Two years ago, IE had about a 93 percent share.
Here's the kicker:
Matt Rosoff, analyst with independent researchers Directions on Microsoft, said Internet Explorer is important to Microsoft's business because most people believe an operating system should include a way to immediately access the Web.
Still, he said, Microsoft might not have seen much reason to spend a lot of money upgrading sooner since most people continued to use the older version.
Microsoft has been heavily testing the new browser, releasing five beta versions over 14 months, and has periodically offered security updates for IE6, first released in 2001.
Still, a lag of more than five years between official releases has cost the company. Web analysis company WebSideStory estimates that Internet Explorer's U.S. market share is about 86 percent, while Firefox commands about 11 percent of the market and smaller offerings account for the rest. Two years ago, IE had about a 93 percent share.
Here's the kicker:
Matt Rosoff, analyst with independent researchers Directions on Microsoft, said Internet Explorer is important to Microsoft's business because most people believe an operating system should include a way to immediately access the Web.
Still, he said, Microsoft might not have seen much reason to spend a lot of money upgrading sooner since most people continued to use the older version.
posted by N Hayes at
8:46 AM
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Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Google Gets YouTube
Former Microsoft evangelist Robert Scoble comments on the company's decision to build its own video-sharing site: "Microsoft still thinks it can build a big audience by cloning the technology. Hey Steve Ballmer, that strategy won't work! You can't clone the Beatles -- this is NOT a technology-only play!"
(courtesy of Todd Bishop in the Seattle P-I)
(courtesy of Todd Bishop in the Seattle P-I)
posted by N Hayes at
10:18 PM
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Sunday, October 15, 2006
Google vs. Microsoft Office
Google Inc. is taking another step in its online challenge to Microsoft Corp.'s Office software, combining its Web-based word-processing and spreadsheet programs into a single offering.
Google is bringing together its existing Writely and Google Spreadsheets sites into a single, free offering known as Google Docs & Spreadsheets.
Both programs let users create and share documents online, from within a Web browser.
The new strategy is similar, on a smaller scale, to Microsoft's packaging of programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint into the unified Microsoft Office suite.
Google is bringing together its existing Writely and Google Spreadsheets sites into a single, free offering known as Google Docs & Spreadsheets.
Both programs let users create and share documents online, from within a Web browser.
The new strategy is similar, on a smaller scale, to Microsoft's packaging of programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint into the unified Microsoft Office suite.
posted by N Hayes at
10:00 PM
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1 comments
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Web According to Ballmer
Selected quotes:
"Classically, we're the Windows company. When it provides $20 billion in profit, it's pretty important. "
" In some of these things, you'll have to decide, if you're the big guys: Do I want to play at the application level or do I merely want to play at the commerce and other platform level in a way that strengthens the rest of my assets and allows me to make money?"
"We wanted to win that MySpace deal. At some point, we said we can't do this. Now Google can afford to spend more than us and Yahoo because they have more people in their ad system, so they're getting better yield, effectively."
"Explain how the business for Xbox changes from the first generation of the console to the current generation with Xbox 360. Generation one was lose money—gross margin loss on the console for the lifetime. You've got to take a lifetime view. We did have a lifetime view that said if you add all the revenue from selling consoles and all the costs of shipping consoles, it was negative."
And, from the Comments:
"Ballmer's glib talk about failed products like XBox should make shareholders angry. After promising to break even on the original XBox, now he claims they planned to lose money over the life cycle of the product! XBox and XB360 have so far cost shareholders more than $3 billion, and now Microsoft faces a price war as Sony and Nintendo ship their next-gen consoles. As for Zune, all I can say is why? They have adopted a player product that has already failed in the marketplace, added some half-baked software, and will sell at a price that has zero advantage over the market leader, Apple. This is a strategy for success? "
"Classically, we're the Windows company. When it provides $20 billion in profit, it's pretty important. "
" In some of these things, you'll have to decide, if you're the big guys: Do I want to play at the application level or do I merely want to play at the commerce and other platform level in a way that strengthens the rest of my assets and allows me to make money?"
"We wanted to win that MySpace deal. At some point, we said we can't do this. Now Google can afford to spend more than us and Yahoo because they have more people in their ad system, so they're getting better yield, effectively."
"Explain how the business for Xbox changes from the first generation of the console to the current generation with Xbox 360. Generation one was lose money—gross margin loss on the console for the lifetime. You've got to take a lifetime view. We did have a lifetime view that said if you add all the revenue from selling consoles and all the costs of shipping consoles, it was negative."
And, from the Comments:
"Ballmer's glib talk about failed products like XBox should make shareholders angry. After promising to break even on the original XBox, now he claims they planned to lose money over the life cycle of the product! XBox and XB360 have so far cost shareholders more than $3 billion, and now Microsoft faces a price war as Sony and Nintendo ship their next-gen consoles. As for Zune, all I can say is why? They have adopted a player product that has already failed in the marketplace, added some half-baked software, and will sell at a price that has zero advantage over the market leader, Apple. This is a strategy for success? "
posted by N Hayes at
10:05 PM
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0 comments
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
MS Zune is not an iPod killer
Microsoft's Zune looks good on paper, but it's not going to kill the iPod because of three things:
2. The Zune will be locked down tighter than the queen's knickers.
The Zune's interesting features -- Wi-Fi sharing and the music subscription plan -- will be subject to a strict digital rights management scheme, and given Microsoft's reputation in this area (PlaysForShit) -- I'll bet the Zune will drive customers to the iPod.
After all, PlaysForSure is such a technical and marketing disaster Microsoft is abandoning it altogether in favor of the Zune, which will attempt to tightly integrate hardware, software and services, just like the iPod.
But whereas Apple's FairPlay digital rights management scheme seems to be working very well (surprisingly, there aren't widespread reports of glitches and problems), Microsoft's penchant for complex and glitchy verification systems bode ill for the device.
3. Wi-Fi song sharing will not catch on in public.
The Zune's only original feature is Wi-Fi song sharing, which will allow Zune owners to search for others nearby and temporarily trade songs over the air. Traded tunes will be playable up to three times over three days, and can be flagged on the player for later purchase online. Otherwise they disappear.
But while it's obvious that sharing songs will be fun with friends at school or college, it's not an activity that will take off in public. It'll largely be confined to peer groups.
How do I know this? Because that's what's happening with iTunes music sharing, which does more or less the same thing with a computer over a network, instead of peer-to-peer.
 | 1. It's not cool and never will be. The iPod is streets ahead in the things that really matter: ease of use, aesthetics and -- here's the tough one -- cool. The Zune is not cool. You can tell that at a glance. Take the choice of colors. It'll come in black, white and brown. Wait a sec -- brown? Surely this is some sick joke gone horribly wrong. Or are they trying to rip off LG's Chocolate phone? The Zune's best bet is waiting it out until the iPod becomes passé, which seems unlikely given that Apple is constantly redesigning and refreshing the device. |
2. The Zune will be locked down tighter than the queen's knickers.
The Zune's interesting features -- Wi-Fi sharing and the music subscription plan -- will be subject to a strict digital rights management scheme, and given Microsoft's reputation in this area (PlaysForShit) -- I'll bet the Zune will drive customers to the iPod.
After all, PlaysForSure is such a technical and marketing disaster Microsoft is abandoning it altogether in favor of the Zune, which will attempt to tightly integrate hardware, software and services, just like the iPod.
But whereas Apple's FairPlay digital rights management scheme seems to be working very well (surprisingly, there aren't widespread reports of glitches and problems), Microsoft's penchant for complex and glitchy verification systems bode ill for the device.
3. Wi-Fi song sharing will not catch on in public.
The Zune's only original feature is Wi-Fi song sharing, which will allow Zune owners to search for others nearby and temporarily trade songs over the air. Traded tunes will be playable up to three times over three days, and can be flagged on the player for later purchase online. Otherwise they disappear.
But while it's obvious that sharing songs will be fun with friends at school or college, it's not an activity that will take off in public. It'll largely be confined to peer groups.
How do I know this? Because that's what's happening with iTunes music sharing, which does more or less the same thing with a computer over a network, instead of peer-to-peer.
posted by N Hayes at
11:25 AM
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0 comments
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Amazon.com Drops Search Engine Features
The AP writes that Amazon has CUT the most widely touted features for its A9 search.
Apparently, Amazon.com spokesman Drew Herdener said the company is "shifting its priorities to areas where it can provide the greatest benefit for customers."
But this sucks for Amazon, because (as the AP notes), "A9 had put considerable effort into taking detailed, street-level photos of 20 U.S. cities, which people could use to map directions and find businesses. Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also have invested heavily in such photographic search technologies."
This is an admission that Amazon has lost the battle for SEARCH (not that they ever had any chance of winning it -- Despite its big-name parent, A9 hasn't gained much traction among users. It ranked No. 32 among search engines in the United States, accounting for just 0.1 percent of all searches, or 3.2 million searches, according to August data from Nielsen/NetRatings. Google ranked first with more than 3 billion searches in the same period).
Sucks to be you, Amazon.
Oh, and furthermore... Amazon.com also is discontinuing a toolbar that helped keep track of such information. People who used the service will be able to retrieve their own personal data, such as Web site bookmarks, by following instructions on the A9 Web site.
Now, Amazon is turning to MS for help -- they're going to use Microsoft's new search technology, called Live Search.
Wonder how that's going to go for them?
Apparently, Amazon.com spokesman Drew Herdener said the company is "shifting its priorities to areas where it can provide the greatest benefit for customers."
But this sucks for Amazon, because (as the AP notes), "A9 had put considerable effort into taking detailed, street-level photos of 20 U.S. cities, which people could use to map directions and find businesses. Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also have invested heavily in such photographic search technologies."
This is an admission that Amazon has lost the battle for SEARCH (not that they ever had any chance of winning it -- Despite its big-name parent, A9 hasn't gained much traction among users. It ranked No. 32 among search engines in the United States, accounting for just 0.1 percent of all searches, or 3.2 million searches, according to August data from Nielsen/NetRatings. Google ranked first with more than 3 billion searches in the same period).
Sucks to be you, Amazon.
Oh, and furthermore... Amazon.com also is discontinuing a toolbar that helped keep track of such information. People who used the service will be able to retrieve their own personal data, such as Web site bookmarks, by following instructions on the A9 Web site.
Now, Amazon is turning to MS for help -- they're going to use Microsoft's new search technology, called Live Search.
Wonder how that's going to go for them?