Microsoft Search: Still Trying after All These Years

November 2, 2021

That was “FAST,” wasn’t it? You lived through LiveSearch, right? Jellyfish? Powerset? Outlook Search in its assorted flavors like Life Savers? I could go on, but I am quite certain no one cares.

Nevertheless,

Bing’s new feature may possibly prompt some workers to switch to the search-engine underdog. TechRadar Pro reports the development in its brief write-up, “One of Microsoft’s Most-Hated Products Might Actually Be Getting a Useful Upgrade.” Writer Mike Moore reveals:

“The tech giant is boosting one of its less-celebrated products to give enterprise users an easier way to search online. The update means that enterprise users will now get their historical searches as suggestions in the autosuggest pane on Bing and Microsoft Search in Bing, according to the official Microsoft 365 roadmap entry. … The new update should mean that enterprise users looking to quickly find files that they’ve searched for or opened before will no longer need to manually trawl through endless files and folders in search of the elusive location. The update is still currently in development, but Microsoft will doubtless be keen to get it out soon and help boost Bing engagement. The feature is set to be available to Microsoft Search users across the globe via the company’s general availability route, meaning web, desktop and mobile users will all be able to utilize it upon release.”

Moore notes Microsoft’s tenacity in continuing to support Bing despite Google’s astounding market share lead. He wonders whether the company may have lost some enthusiasm recently, though, when it was revealed that the most searched-for term on Bing is “Google.” A tad embarrassing, perhaps. Does Microsoft suppose its file-finding feature will turn the tide? Unlikely, but some of our readers may find the tool useful, nonetheless.

What’s next for Microsoft search? Perhaps broader and deeper indexing of US government Web sites for a starter?

Cynthia Murrell, November 2, 2021

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Microsoft, News, Search

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.