Microsoft's search engine, Windows Live Search, is to be offered as the default search tool on all new HP machines
Microsoft has announced a deal with Hewlett-Packard, the world's largest PC
manufacturer, that will significantly strengthen its fight to topple Google
as the leader in search.
The deal is Microsoft latest attempt to chip away at the dominance of search leader Google Inc. The agreement, which takes effect next January for new PCs in the United States and Canada, displaces a similar one HP has with Yahoo Inc.
Under the agreement, Microsoft's search engine will also be the default service on the Internet Explorer browser preloaded on new HP computers.
Microsoft did not disclose the terms of the agreement.
"This is the most significant distribution deal for Live Search that Microsoft has ever done," said Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's platform and services division.
Such agreements are grounded in the notion that many PC users will lack the know-how or desire to change their search settings.
Of course, even after the Microsoft agreement takes effect, lots of HP users will just conduct searches from the Google home page.
But to the extent people use built-in search fields, the HP-Microsoft deal raises some important questions, with broader implications: When their queries are directed to Live Search, how many HP users will be conscious of the fact that it's not Google? How many of those people will want to switch the default to Google? And how many of those will actually do it?
Posted by Samir Bhoir | Views 403 | Share Blog
