MSN is preparing a new search engine

(June 18 2003, update June 19) Microsoft has started spidering the Web, and the search engine community is in a frenzy.

So what is the big deal, you may wonder. Well, although Microsoft owns one of the major search sites in the world, MSN.com, they do not actually have their own search engine. MSN.com is powered by the LookSmart directory, the Inktomi search engine and Overture pay-per-click ads.

Given that "MSNBOT" has now started indexing Web sites all over the Web, it is a good guess that Microsoft is preparing the introduction of a new search engine.

The only alternative explanation we can think of, is that Microsoft will use this index to supplement or adjust the data from the other search results providers. The MSNBOT FAQ says that "Although we have not set a date, it is our intention to eventually integrate the crawled contents into MSN Search results". This could be interpreted both ways.

However, if you take a look at MSN Job Opportunity page, you will see that they are looking for a MSN Search Group Program Manager:

"The newly expanded MSN Search team is working on indexing the entire internet and returning best-of-class results to search queries. The team is looking for an experienced Group Program Manager (GPM) to lead the PM team as we build our next generation search service. You will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking technology which millions of users will use every day."

Yes, Microsoft is clearly preparing the launch of their own search engine.

Why would Microsoft want to do this? The conspirationalists will probably argue that a company that wants to dominate the world, must also dominate the search engine market.

A more simple explanation is the need for independence. All alternative search engines are owned by companies that has their own search portals -- i.e. they are owned by competitors. Inktomi is owned by Yahoo!, AlltheWeb is owned by Overture (which also owns the AltaVista search site), Teoma is owned by AskJeeves and Google is owned by -- eh, well -- Google.

Scripting News quotes an "anonymous source" that says that the fact that Yahoo! bought Inktomi made MSN go for an idependent search engine.

According to this source Microsoft actually made an offer to buy Google, but this was turned down. Now the company will try to "replicate every feature of Google in the next year" and integrate the new search engine into the next version of the Internet Explorer Web browser. This information has not been confirmed.

The searchers will certainly not suffer from the introduction of a new search engine. Choice is good. The search engine optimization experts will also benefit from this. The need for their expertise can only increase with the introduction of a serious alternative to Google.

However, it remains to be seen if MSN is able to develop a search engine of the same quality as Google's.

Webmaster World discussion
MSNBOT— The MSN Search Prototype Web Crawler FAQ
ZDNet article: "MSN search bot a glimpse of ambitions"

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