Speculation grows over Microsoft 'Bing' search

Speculation that Microsoft is planning to relaunch its search engine as "Bing" has intensified after the software giant registered "bing.com.au" as a domain name.

As first reported by APC and verified by searches of the Whois database, Microsoft has registered similar domain names in other countries, such as "bing.co.nz" and "bing.co.uk."

The relaunch of Live Search is Microsoft's latest attempt to rein in search giant Google. In the testing thus far, the re-envisioned search engine has been known as Kumo.

U.S.-based ad magazine AdAge reported Monday that Microsoft will launch it as Bing. Microsoft has declined to comment on the moniker.

Microsoft Australia representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Renai LeMay of ZDNet Australia reported from Syndney

[lonestarState]

I am sure live will still be called Live search at the end of the day. Can not see Microsoft having all it's dvelopers using the live API having to plug in a new url. It seems Bing will simply be a publicity stunt.

[applecores]

This whole Bing thing comes from Seinfeld and Gates TV ad about a Churro, a cherry pastry. Hello Bing Cherry.

I just rebuilt my windoze machine yesterday, so we know Microsoft doesnt compare its oranges to Apple.

So now they are moving towards calling themselves Bing cherries and again their repackaged products of useless microsoft search engines cant compare.

Microsoft is not a Bing cherry, maybe the mold that grows on one.

[PWBo]

I don't know much about computers and I only know as much about search engines as I need to know to use them. But I do know that a churro is NOT a "cherry pastry," so the name Bing has absolutely nothing to do with the churros featured in the Seinfeld ads.

Why do people on the Internet feel like they can just spout off nonsense and pretend it's fact?

[myles taylor]

That just bothers me. Why don't they just ravamp their current search. Google already owns the recognition of search. To search online is to google something. By switching their name, they are just making it more confusing.

[MosX]

The goal for Microsoft is to improve and revamp the service, rename it to something catchy (like Google turned out to be), and then advertise like crazy to get the new name out there. There will be a lot of commercials and other advertisements using the new name, and they hope it'll get stuck in people's minds.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ MosX :"rename it to something catchy (like Google turned out to be),"

Again, nobody uses Google because its got a "catchy" name. That's the fundamental flow in Microsoft's thinking.
It's like saying 90% of PC users on the planet use Windows because Windows is catchy. Being "catchy" has nothing to do with it.
Internet users use Google because it gives them the best, most relevant search results in the fastest time . You can call Google "Fied Chicken Serach" today, and it's stil going to dominate search.
Microsoft is putting the cart before the horse, and going for form instead of subtance. It's bone headed, and stupid.

@ MosX :" and then advertise like crazy to get the new name out there"

We've been there before.
Last time when they switched from "msn search" to "Live search" we heard the same thing about advertising the heck out of it. Where did that end? Well live search today, has a market share that is 5% lower thah msn search did when Microsoft switched to Live search. I don't see any reason why this so-called "bing" should be any different. It's yet another ridiculous waste of shareholder money by Microsoft.

[istill316]

1. I much prefer "Live" to "Bing".

2. It is true that people use Google because it is a catchy name. You can "Google" something much easier than "Search for" something. Mayb eyou can "Yahoo" something, but you really can't "Live" something. "Binging" is a possibility. Unfortunately, It sounds kinda ridiculous... But the idea behind it is solid.

As long as Google is the lone search verb, its catchy name will cause it to get used, regardless of its search quality. Personally, I use Yahoo and Live a lot, and hardly ever Google, yet I often find myself suggesting that someone "Google" something, and then having to suggest an alternative search engine after that! You can't search anymore: you can only Google, and maybe, just maybe, Bing.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ istill316 :" It is true that people use Google because it is a catchy name"

No they don't.
If it's that easy, why don't you start a search company witha catchy name and see where that gets ya.
People use Google because Google has the best search results. Period!

[BeauGiles]

Syndney??

[RompStar_420]

LOL, Google start with a G, Bing, starts with a B, I think the only advantage they have at this point is that B comes before G, lol

[CNET editors' note: Prohibited content deleted.]

[nbilyk]

Way to be completely speculative cnet. So Microsoft is registering bing. What on earth makes you jump to the conclusion that it's to rename live, or anything to do with their search engine at all? This is the quality of news I'd expect to find on some kid's blog.

[MosX]

Because it has been talked about for a long time and pretty much confirmed that Microsoft was changing the name.

[dbloyd]

Microsoft named their word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, and database programs really good. What happened to them?

[istill316]

Everything I read "bing" I think of annoying character Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day. That's not a good thing.

[istill316]

They could find a catchphrase, e.g. "Bing it up" cf. "Beam me up, Scotty!".

[joesixgig]

I thought 'live search' was actually a step ahead of google, in suggesting it provides real-time results. If they were going to use a new name, I would have liked 'Miso Search', like the soup, but also short for microsoft.

[applecores]

Oh and like the "start me up" campaign with Mick Jagger, I could see MS use the fabled Bing Crosby in digital rehash flogging their Zunes and Search, trying to **** their way into peoples hearts.

Making three flavors of an operating system that doesnt work is a con
Copying an ipod as a zune, a google as a Microsoft search, microsoft doesnt build anything innovative these says, so now the Churro cooning is going to happen.

[JoeF2]

With the Win95 "Start me up" ad campaign, they just left out one line: "You make a grown man cry"...

[jimbeam]

Google didn't get verbed for having a catchy name, it got verbed for being the most popular search engine. Spending all this money to pick/advertise a name based on their perceived verbability, while offering nothing new or innovative, is so incredibly stupid. Make a good search engine and the people will come, no matter what it's called. Remember AltaVista? That's neither catchy nor verbable, but it was top dog before Google took over.

I use Google daily. I only ever use Live Search when I can get cash back, and even then I know what I'm looking for... because I already googled it.

[giant_david]

Brazilian domain already registered for MSFT:

bing.com.br
Domínio já registrado.

Domínio: bing.com.br
Servidor DNS: ns1.msft.net
Servidor DNS: ns2.msft.net
Servidor DNS: ns5.msft.net
Expiração: 2010-01-31
Status: Publicado

[oregon_ed]

Makes me think of the old cartoon "Bing, bing, bing..Ricochet Rabbit"!

Ed

[t8]

Can't wait to hear the first person to say "I will bing it", instead of I will google it.
Actually I honestly don't think I will ever hear anyone say that, but if I do, I will simply reply, "how long have you worked at Microsoft?".

[t8]

One advantage with Bing as opposed to Kumo or even Google is that B comes before G or K. So it might appear fist in certain lists when choosing a search engine. Although it will still appear after Ask. Maybe Microsoft should buy out Ask.com instead. They also own dictionary.com and other useful domains.

[bilt1958]

Live is alway's better, sorry.

[2EZ24Get]

Let's assume the "new" engine is as robust and useful as Microsoft would like us to believe. I hope it is. But the word Bing does nothing to generate interest (except for the people who created it). Advertising won't make the product more useable either. Personally.........I like the name Soych. New Yorkers should enjoy it too. If you don't know the answer, you can certainly Soych it on the web.

[j3101s]

Soych!!! I love it!!!