Microsoft's search deal with HP

A sure way to get some search traffic is to make sure that your engine is the default option inside the browser.

For antitrust reasons, Microsoft can't just make its engine the default in Internet Explorer (except in some very limited circumstances). If it wants to get Live Search on new PCs, it has to strike a deal with computer makers, just as rivals have done.

On Monday, Microsoft announced just such an agreement, with Hewlett-Packard agreeing to make Live Search the default on its consumer PCs starting in January. The computers will also carry a toolbar that uses Microsoft's Silverlight in conjunction with Live Search.

Top executives said recently that they felt the quality of Live Search had reached a point where it made sense to start using some marketing dollars to acquire traffic, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first deal of many, especially since Microsoft has yet to reach a deal with Yahoo and its share of the search market has continued to decline.

Microsoft didn't say how much it is paying HP for the right to be on its PCs, but it did call the deal its most significant one to date.

"This agreement with HP is a strategic indicator of our increased focus on securing broad-scale distribution for Live Search," Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's platforms and services division, said in a statement. "This is the most significant distribution deal for Live Search that Microsoft has ever done, and we are very pleased to be partnering with HP to help bring Live Search to millions of consumers across North America."

[supoman]

Here we go again....using their money to try to create a monopoly.

[James7777777]

Cue Microsoft Haters, I'm sure they'll feel the need to point out how Microsoft sucks, just curious how they will tie in praising the iPhone in the comments.

[BigOldNerd]

What you really want to do is call up HP and ask them what consumer PC or laptop you can buy that does not come preloaded with M$ software. I think you will find the answer very interesting. Explain to them you want one of their consumer PC or laptops but your going to load Linux on it and you do not want to pay for a M$ OS since your not going to use it. Again, I think your going to find the response interesting. If you push the conversation long enough you will find that you can buy a business system without M$ OS but for some reason you can not buy one of the consumer systems without paying M$ for an OS your not going to use.

[Randall Lind]

Who cares? What I do when I buy a HP is make my Windows disk or buy a new copy then format the pc.

HP machine runs like garbage until you remove all the HP spam in them.

[i_am_still_wade]

Stuff like this should be ILLEGAL! I am tired of trialware and bribe-ware,

[MMC Racing]

Microsoft bloatware instead of Google or Yahoo bloatware.. What I would like on my next new PC is none of this crap... Google desktop search has to be the worst written/biggest memory hog application to even be preloaded on a PC.. These "value-added" programs is why anyone somewhat technical does a fresh OS install immediately after receiving these PC's.

[JCPayne]

This is how they got everyone to switch to IE.... Remember back in the 90's where each time--- you went to install an ISPs software it always tried to install the newest version of IE as well????

[Stariun]

Google pays Mozilla to mak Google the default search for Firefox. Already, Yahoo is default for HP laptops so this is no news.

People will switch to their various prefered search engine and their toolbar.

[gsmiller88]

At least you can change your default in Windows, unlike Mac OS X which has Google as the only option in Safari and even has "Search in Google" on your right/ctrl click menu.

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Who cares? People will see Live Search filthying up their new PCs, vomit, scramble to change it to Google and analysts will chatter about Ballmer's idiocy for another two quarters.