Microsoft is still failing to overcome Google, king of the search engines, despite trying every tactic they know. Those tactics included ample marketing, bribery, OS integration and a host of others - but they just can't knock down the kingpin. Now they intend to learn how. They are opening up a dedicated research center specifically for search technology and advertising technology.
The center, called the "Internet Services Research Center", will supposedly bring the end product and the people dictating what works closer together, with the end result of more intelligent search engines and better ad placement:
"We're building an even tighter bridge between researchers and product teams," said Rick Rashid, who oversees Microsoft Research, the company's worldwide R&D operation. "The ISRC represents a new model for moving technologies quickly from research projects to improved products and services." The new center will be lead by Harry Shum, former chief scientist of the Microsoft's search and advertising platform group.
How much further can search go? How much further will it go? Wherever the buck stops, I have a feeling that Google will get there before Microsoft does, especially at how long it took MS to realize what Google was up to.