"We didn't get to paid search first, and it turns out that's the best part of the market," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told Washington Post Editors as part of a meeting that explored a range of topics. Among other things, Ballmer discussed Microsoft's strategy and mission statement, why it aspires to be competitive in search, user privacy, and the future of media. His boldest statement and prediction is that in 10 years there will be no more print magazines or newspapers. Paraphrasing some of Ballmer's remarks: He sees speech, touch, and natural language as interface innovations across devi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General | Microsoft: Marketing

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposium, Microsoft's Chief Strategy Officer Craig Mundie made the perhaps technically correct but strange remark that Google's business was essentially derivative of Microsoft's success. "If we didn't succeed at the PC, they wouldn't have a business," Mundie is quoted as saying. Yet Microsoft didn't invent the PC, nor does the company offer its only operating system. During the talk, Mundie made a range of claims and assertions about Microsoft's flexibility, adaptability, and resources. He said that its "software plus services" model, re [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: General

In this corner, with a $214 billion market cap, is Google and "The Cloud" (and partners like IBM). In the other, weighing in at $327 billion, is Microsoft and the PC desktop. This is the theme of a Sunday New York Times piece about the high-stakes future of computing. The article explains that "cloud computing" -- essentially software hosted on the server instead of on the desktop -- is a natural outgrowth of Google's model and network of data centers around the globe. Microsoft, whose business model depends on selling software installed locally on PCs, takes exception to Google's vision, as o [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: General | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

Reuters reports on a speech given at an investor conference by Microsoft's Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's platforms and services division. In the speech Johnson reportedly said that Microsoft wants to capture 30 percent of the consumer search market as well as a much larger slice of the online ad pie, in "three to five years." Johnson added that the company wants to be "one of the top two" in online advertising. The other one would of course be Google. The entire effort was dubbed the "10, 20, 30, 40 plan" after Microsoft's market share aspirations for its various products and initi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

Microsoft announced the beta launch of Microsoft Office Live Workspace. This is Microsoft's answer to Google Docs and will be a "web-based feature of Microsoft Office that enables people to access their documents online anywhere and easily share their work with others." Microsoft is currently accepting beta testers over here and will be launching it to the public in about a month or so. The service will be free for up to 1,000 documents. If you have over 1,000 documents there may be a fee, but that fee is not yet disclosed. I just find it funny that we are now saying Microsoft is challen [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Docs & Spreadsheets | Microsoft: General

Microsoft has rolled out something similar to the Google Pack software bundle called "Windows Live Services." Google Operating System has a lengthy (favorable) overview. The package includes mail and instant messaging, search toolbar, online storage, photosharing and blogging software, all from Microsoft. It operates as something of an extension of Windows desktop software and is intended to create a kind of self-contained world of online applications. It's also intended to boost awareness and usage of Windows Live search, as well as counter the growing Google Apps/Gears and "cloud computing" [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Docs & Spreadsheets | Google: Gears | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: General

A coalition of companies that includes Microsoft, Google, Intel and Dell were recently rebuffed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in their combined effort to offer wireless Internet access on unused portions of the nation's television airwaves, so-called "white space." The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) found that the coalition's hardware failed to avoid interference with existing broadcast signals. However, The Washington Post reports today that Microsoft disputes the FCC's findings and plans, together with the coalition members, to press for approval of t [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Internet Access | Google: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: General | Microsoft: Partnerships

The Google Blog announced they are allowing users to pay for additional storage for Gmail and Picasa. Currently Google gives you 1GB of free space for Picasa and 2.8GB of free space for Gmail. You can now buy additional space, and Google hopes to expand this service to their other services, such as Google Docs & Spreadsheets. The current plans are: 6GB for $20.00 per year, 25GB for $75.00 per year, 100GB $250.00 per year, and 250 GB $500.00 per year. You can purchase the additional storage over here, and you can check your current storage usage at this page. Google Blogoscoped has screen [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Gmail | Google: Picasa | Microsoft: General

Just over a year ago, MSN seemed like the brand Microsoft wanted to deny ever existed. Almost like some embarrassing former leader of a country, the MSN name was excised or replaced in favor of the new Windows Live brand. But now MSN is back on Live.com, in the form of a new MSN button. Spotted via ResourceShelf, the button appears next to other search options such as Web, Images, News and Maps. Clicking on the MSN option brings back matches from MSN's own content, such as MSN Cars, MSN Video, MSN Music and so on: [Side rant: you'll notice the top result in the screenshot is a UK site, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: General

Microsoft has announced that it will purchase AdECN, an online ad exchange that competes with Yahoo's RightMedia and, presumably, the forthcoming DoubleClick exchange. Assuming that the deal goes through and Google's acquisition of DoubleClick isn't blocked by regulators, all the major search engines will have extended graphical ad distribution through so-called exchanges. This is obviously about building out more distribution and reach for Microsoft advertisers. I spoke to Microsoft and Bill Urschel, CEO of AdECN since writing the post above. Microsoft's Joe Doran, General Manager, Micros [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Microsoft: Bing Ads | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) ran an article quoting Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi, who made the following statements at a Goldman Sachs Internet conference: "Yahoo has a great business. Kudos to them, but we're bigger globally. We have half a billion people . . . I still don't think it's the end of inning one. Google is a good product and a good brand, and you can't just match that. You have to do something big and bold and different. Nobody's really done that yet." The article goes on: As for advertisers, the aQuantive deal will help Microsoft get to hundreds of thousands of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

John Battelle has posted a screen capture from a presentation given by Gary Flake of Microsoft showing a new approach to search ads. The search ads on the Live.com search results have a little icon next to them, when you mouse over those icons, up comes a larger image or flash or interactive based ad. When will this come to a search results page near you? I do not know but how will this impact one's click through rate and conversions - that is the big question. This implementation kind of reminds me of Ask.com's Binoculars but is a lot less useful and a lot more annoying. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Microsoft: Bing Ads | Microsoft: General

Yahoo CEO arrives on Microsoft's turf from News.com reports that Terry Semel, Yahoo's CEO, took the podium at Microsoft's Strategic Account Summit yesterday. Semel did not mention the recent merger rumors between Microsoft and Yahoo but did talk about working with Microsoft on creating standards for Internet advertising. Semel's speech talked about how people are now using the Internet via mobile phones, and that TV will soon be broadcasted via IP technology. Semel also joked a bit about Zillow, a real estate web site that is used on Yahoo's real estate pages. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: General | Yahoo: Employees

PaidContent has a nice roundup of Microsoft's eighth annual Strategic Account Summit. In the Strategic Account Summit, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said that he plans on spending the last remaining months of his Microsoft tenure focusing on "search, buyers and sellers." Gates will be working full-time at Microsoft through mid-2008. He said online and advertising services will be his "biggest thing," while he rounds out his full-time career at Microsoft. PaidContent also highlights coverage that Microsoft's online media business will undergo some changes. Microsoft has deals with both Volv [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Microsoft: General

Both the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that sources say Microsoft and Yahoo are talking again about how they might merge or cooperate. The New York Post slants the move as a Microsoft reaching out situation: Stung by the loss of Internet advertising firm DoubleClick to Google last month, Microsoft has intensified its pursuit of a deal with Yahoo!, asking the company to re-enter formal negotiations, The Post has learned. The new approach follows an offer Microsoft made to acquire Yahoo! a few months ago, sources said. But Yahoo! spurned the advances of the Redmond, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: General

News Analysis: Microsoft General Counsel on DoubleClick and Antitrust from John Battelle documents some of his conversation with Microsoft's general counsel Brad Smith today. In this conversation, John asks why Microsoft is encouraging the FTC to look into anti-trust issues with the Google & DoubleClick acquisition. Smith explained that the purchase of DoubleClick is a sign of Google wanting to control more of the market. While Eric Schmidt of Google feels owning DoubleClick is a tiny percent of the overall advertising world, Microsoft feels otherwise. John highlights especially that the [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Acquisitions | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Legal: General | Microsoft: Employees | Microsoft: General

SEO Home reports that the MSN UK home page currently has the search box prefilled with the query "The Apprentice BBC," effectively making it into an ad. Here's a screenshot: Clicking "Search" takes you to the search results for The Apprentice BBC. The first result I see is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/apprentice/ with information about the show provided by the BBC. I wonder how much that cost? :-) Postscript From Danny: I'm trying to get comments and more details from both the BBC and Microsoft about this unprecedented deal. Postscript from Barry: It appears MSN UK is now testing several ke [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Microsoft: Bing Ads | Microsoft: General | Microsoft: Partnerships | Search Ads: General

Microsoft has appointed Satya Nadella to head the newly formed Search and Ad Platform Group at Microsoft. Kevin Johnson, the president of Microsoft's Platform Services Division, will be Satya Nadella's boss. Nadella will start his new role on April 19th. He maintains a blog here. More details on the appointment can be found from article at the Seattle Times and News.com. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Employees | Microsoft: General

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, spoke at Stanford University the other day, calling Google a one-hit wonder, mocking Google's personal time concept and calling their growth expectations "insane." Ballmer questions business strategy of Google from Tech World reports Ballmer saying Google is "really just one business, a search and advertising business" and they are "trying to make it into a second one, that's right and we'll see how they do." He then compares how Microsoft has went from PC software, to server software, to Internet Explorer and even the Xbox. Microsoft CEO Says Google A 'One-T [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

Yesterday I wrote a long piece looking at Microsoft's moves in search since 1997. Bill Bliss, who I described as overseeing Microsoft's "first era" of human-powered search, has added some great comments on missteps within the company ranging from not buying search technology earlier and ignoring the Google threat for so long in part because of MSN's constantly changing management. Bill's emailed me some of this material privately in the past, so I'm glad he had a chance to share his perspective publicly. You can read his full comments below or as part of the original story. Bill's bi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Microsoft: Bing | Microsoft: General | Stats: History