Bing Watch . . . Just Bing It!

Social layer and mobile phone: the growing important of using mobile phones to call a friend to get advice on making a purchase decision while shopping in a brick-and-mortar store

In its collaboration with Facebook, Bing has been pulling data from friends and family members to help its shoppers to make a better purchase decision since October 2010, while Google is trying to copycat Bing’s effort with a project called “Search Plus Your World” that was launched in early January 2012.  As the “Doing Engine” has been working hard to add social layer into the search results by combining advices from friends, the latest findings from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project could prove that Bing is on the right track.

Under the management of the Pew Research Center, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project just published some findings on the important of a phone call to a friend when making purchasing decisions.  According to the study, 38% of cellphone subscribers used their phone to call a friend while shopping in a brick-and-mortar store seeking their friend’s advices about a purchase decision.  The report also shows about 24% to 25% of cellphone subscribers used their phone to check out reviews and comparing the price of a product online while they were in a brick-and-mortar store.

(Chart:  The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project)

Bing Rewards offers a new sweepstakes and will end on January 31, 2012: a two-night trip for two persons plus free airfare to Orlando, a Kinect for Xbox 360 bundle, and 30 gift cards of $50 from Tango

Bing Rewards team offers several prizes for the “Doing Engine” users with a brand new sweepstakes. Users must redeem credits for entry by January 31, 2012.

A list of prizes include a two-night trip for two persons plus free airfare to Orlando, a Kinect for Xbox 360 bundle, and 30 gift cards of $50 from Tango. Only users who live in America legally and 13-year old can submit entry to the sweepstakes.

To enter the draw, users can redeem their Bing Rewards credits to get a single chance or multiple chances. Here are some examples on the unit count for each entry:

• 1 entry for the Orlando trip will cost 35 credits, but redeeming 70 credits, users can get 10 chances
• 1 entry for the Xbox bundle trip will cost 20 credits, but with 40 credits, users can get 10 entries

(Image: Bing Rewards)

Pirate Engines: Britain’s entertainment industry groups and copyrights holders accused Bing and Google search engines providing search results to illegal copies of music and movies online

An article published by guardian.co.uk early this morning which later cited by many tech bloggers showed that major Britain’s entertainment industry groups and copyrights holders are condemning Bing and Google for providing easy access to illegal content via their search results. 

In contrast, the entertainment groups believe that search engines make it so hard for users to search for legal music and movies online. 

In the article guardian.co.uk noted that copyrights holders are urging the Britain government to supervising or censoring Bing and Google search results.  They also asked top search engine companies to provide search results that follow the Code of Practice such as stop indexing websites that offer illegal contents.  The Guardian added “… [copyright group] urges the government to introduce a voluntary body that would remove rogue websites from internet search results.”

(Movie poster: “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” by Disney)

Bing Maps adds several new features including traffic incidents reports (i.e., road construction and car collision) and points of interest (POI) data sources

Bing Maps team announced several new features for the popular mapping section early this morning.  According to the team blog post, those new features include:

• Traffic incidents reports: this feature shows road construction and car collision reports in America.
• Points of interest (POI) data sources: the feature helps users to find points of interest (POI) while driving in a local street or freeway or highway using Bing Maps.

(Image: Bing team)

The Search Alliance Update: Bing sent a $48 million check to Yahoo for transition and search operating cost during Q4-2011

With the 10-year global deal that was signed by former Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in July 2009, Bing continued to send a reimbursement check to Yahoo! on a quarterly basis.  After the Wall Street closed on Tuesday January 24, 2012, Yahoo! announced their Q4-2011 financial results. 

On the earnings report, Yahoo stated that they received a $48 million check from Bing team.  The money was for taking care of the search transition from Yahoo! Search to Bing platform during the latest quarter.   However, Yahoo also noticed that payments from Bing will soon stop as all Yahoo! Search is now fully powered by the “Doing Engine.”

The “Doing Engine” is a Gold Sponsor and will present at SMX West at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, February 28 to March 1, 2012, as the team offers a 10% discount code

Search Marketing Expo (SMX) West 2012 will take place at San Jose McEnery Convention Center from February 28 to March 1, 2012.  This year’s February will have 29 days.  The event will run from Tuesday to Thursday.  The popular Silicon Valley’s convention center is located at 150 West San Carlos St., San Jose, CA 95110.

With a new tag line as the “Doing Engine” that was launched last weekend, Bing is also the Gold Sponsor for this year event.  The SMX organizer will have over 130 domestic and International experts and speakers in the field of search marketing.  At the same time, the Doing Engine will bring a team of speakers including its famous senior product manager, Duane Forrester.  In order to get more fans, Bing team offers a 10% discount code and they must inserting “SMX10Bing” during the registration.  Based on the early bird rate (until January 28), an all access pass will cost about $1,445.

(Logo: SMX West 2012)

The former “Decision Engine” introduces a new tag line, “Bing is For Doing,” as the new campaign will debut during the NFC Championship game between NY Giants vs. SF 49ers on Sunday (January 22) and then will air on ESPN’s X Games coverage

Bing marketing team is working hard to tweak its slogan for the number two search engine in America.  According to Bing team blog, the team will debut a new ad featuring American snowboarder Kevin Pearce this Sunday (January 22) during the NFC Championship game between NY Giants versus SF 49ers.  Then, the new ad will be shown on ESPN’s X Games coverage.

On the new campaign, Bing will show a new slogan "Bing is for Doing."  Since Bing’s launch in early June 2009, users referred to Bing as a "decision engine.”  We hope the new slogan will not confused with famous Nike's "Just Do It" tag line.

(Image: Bing is for Doing)

Bing sees light at the end of the tunnel with double-digit revenue growth: the Online Services Division reported revenue of $784 million or an increase of 10% from one year ago

After the Wall Street stock market closed on Thursday, January 19, 2012, Bing’s parent announced quarterly revenue of $20.89 billion for Fiscal Year 2012 Quarter 2 that ended December 31, 2011.  Compared to the prior year period, FY11-Q2 revenue was $19.95 billion, this was an increase of 5% from one year ago.

Some highlights from Microsoft’s earnings report:

• Operating income for FY12-Q2 was $7.99 billion, compared to FY11-Q2 which was $8.17 billion. 
• Net income for the latest quarter was $6.62 billion, compared to one year ago which was $6.63 billion.
• Diluted earnings per share for FY12-Q2 were $0.78 per share, compared to FY11-Q2 which was $0.77 per share.

Bing’s Online Services Division reported revenue of $784 million or an increase of 10% from one year ago.  Bing’s parent praised the decision engine's organic market share in America which grew to 15.1%.  On the earnings report, Bing’s parent also noted that the Search Alliance with Yahoo had captured about 27% share of search market in America.

(Slide: Microsoft’s earnings report FY12-Q2)

The decision engine and its partners Yahoo and Facebook plus its rival Google to permanently enable Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, the decision engine will join its partners Yahoo and Facebook and its rival Google to permanently enable Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).  From that day on, some websites will be using double stacked support which allowing access on both IPv4 and IPv6.   On the same day, as per Internet Society who organized the switch, several top Internet service providers (ISPs) from around the world will also join Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, and Google to permanently enable IPv6 for their products and services.

Bing joined the test flight day of IPv6 on June 8, 2011.  The last year’s test was cheered by many companies and was regarded very successful experiment. 

IPv6 was tested for the first time last year to boost Internet grow as networks run out of IPv4 numbers.  IPv6 will solve Internet issues for a long run.  As all websites will permanently enable IPv6, Internet will continue to be attached into more devices for communication purposes. With more numbers available via IPv6, this will ensure users stay connected online worldwide.

(Logo: worldipv6launch.org)

Bye-bye Yang: Bing’s search partner Yahoo! announces the resignation of its co-founder, former CEO and board member

Bing’s search partner Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, former CEO (from June 2007 to January 2009) and board member resigned from the company’s board of directors and from all executive positions starting on Tuesday January 17, 2012, as per press release by Yahoo.

As one of the top Asian executives during the early day of Internet business, Yang co-founded Yahoo! with David Filo in 1995 while both were students at Palo Alto-based Stanford University.  After 17 years with the search engine pioneer company, Yang is severing all ties with the Silicon Valley-based company.  Yahoo went public in 1996.

Bing’s Search Alliance recently appointed former PayPal’s President Scott Thompson as the new Chief Executive Officer.  Just few weeks before 2011 Christmas, several shareholders have asked Yang to resign due to conflict of interest of Yang being member of Yahoo's board of directors.  At the same time, tech watchers rumored that Yang was trying to become the connector with other investors who were interested to take the company private.