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Out comes a new search interface/algorithm set/a real new search engine from Microsoft. Slated in as the “next big thing in search” may be just after Wolfram Alpha, searchers are getting a new option to search on. Will it be exciting? Will it satisfy users’ queries in a better manner? Let’s have a look whether Bing is a bang or just its alternate meaning – a heap of pile.

In a hasty move, Microsoft launched its official search engine christened as BING. Although the company announced that the new search engine will be made available by June 3, the full-fledged unexpected release of the beta version of the search portal has left industry analysts amazed. The question on everyone’s mind is – why Microsoft launched Bing two days prior to the officially announced release date? But there aren’t any answers.

Whatever the reasons are, the fact is that Bing is here to make a bang and challenge the supremacy of the search giant i.e. Google. Moreover, in the near future it is going to replace Live which is at present the main search engine of Microsoft. Additionally, those who are contemplating Bing to be a Google killer kindly reset their expectations. Microsoft too has stated that it’s a fresh (re)start for them in the search domain and the improvements will continue to be rolled out. It looks like they are in no mood to dethrone Google, at least not right now. As far as the name is concerned, Bing is definitely a better name than “Live Search” as we all know that whatever results search engines display are not live but an assortment of their huge database. Read more…

Systems today have evolved from huge bulky awkward looking structures to the sleek and sexy Apple Mac Book Air which is just few centimeters thick at maximum. Blue Ray Disks offer storage spaces from about 1 GB to thousand GB on a disc. And still you were cribbing abour your storage space, then relax! Now you don’t have to worry about the storage capacity of your computer, courtesy Cloud computing. What! Cloud computing? Why it will have a major impact on the storage peripherals of today? Will it affect the software industry as well? Plenty of questions must be hovering around your head just for cloud computing.The condition is akin to the situation when you enter into a restaurant and look at the menu card containing the list of dishes with fancy names. You start wondering what it is, will it satisfy your hunger, how will it taste, so on and so forth.

Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM and HP have already started work in this regard. Amazon with its Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, popularly called Amazon EC2 and Simple Storage Service or abbreviated as S3, has paved the way for others like Google and Microsoft to improve upon the existing structures and allay the fears and apprehensions vis-à-vis Cloud Computing. Read more…

I may be the only one or maybe one of you caught wind of this last few weeks or have thought it reasonable given the Facebook and Microsoft developments of late. Well Google, out-bidded by Microsoft, is out to seek a share of the social networking profit.

But wait?

I thought Google already had its own social networking site Orkut, is it? Though the Times is reporting that all of these smaller social networks are trying to take down Facebook (or at least cut away at its fast growth rate), it seems that what has been created is just a market of social networks. The ones that are more user-friendly, visually-enticing or gathered a large audience during start up and early promotional phases are the ones that will dominate the market. The other, small networks are available but seem to fill the void of niche markets. Unless you belong to a certain subset or want to identify yourself in a way that Facebook or MySpace don’t allow (or both of these lose their coolness factor), then why have 2, 3, or more social networking memberships?

So what is the entire buzz about?

Microsoft enters the splash by acquiring stake in Facebook?

Microsoft paid US $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook that values the hugely popular social networking site at $15 billion. Facebook allows users to set up personal web pages and communicate with each other, turned down an offer from Microsoft’s rival Google, which was also keen to invest the site.

Microsoft will also sell Internet ads for Facebook outside the United States as part of the deal. Microsoft already provides banner advertising and links on the US site.

Facebook soon hopes to become an advertising magnet by substantially increasing its current audience of nearly 50 million active users. Facebook. The company expects to make a profit of $30 million this year, so on conventional valuations a $15 billion price tag looks expensive.

Why Microsoft Needed Facebook & Google Didn’t

After weeks of speculation , finally Microsoft won the battle over Facebook, with Google second, and Yahoo nowhere to be seen. While it may seem that Google’s lost momentum–by not partnering with Facebook, I see it more as a sign that Microsoft knew Facebook was its only hope.

Let me explain that to you in detail.
Social networks are hot, right now. It doesn’t really matter which one you prefer–MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, or Dogster–social networks are the next evolutionary step in the growth of the internet. Now that we’ve all learned to check our email, order online, research restaurants, and read news, we’re starting to use the web to connect with each other. We’ve realized that we enjoy making connections, sharing our random thoughts with our mates. Social networking is the second generation Internet.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, social networks have to be perceived as cool, exciting, trendy places to hang out at. But, just like the rich kid in school, Microsoft has enough money to buy itself some friends–or in this case, a network of friends. For Microsoft, the only choice was to buy a piece of a popular social network.

Then there’s Google. Along with Apple, Google has one of the best brands in the world. A brand that can make us all dribble and pander after their every announcement.
If Google really wants to build a popular social network, it can. A social network that already has all of the pieces in place: email, instant messaging, blogs, image and video sharing. If Google really wanted to own a social network, it could take the $240M it just saved and put that towards building a most excellent one. A few rumors, closed beta invites, and denials of competing with MySpace later, and the whole world’s going crazy over Google Connect.

So I think, Microsoft had no hope other than to buy into an existing social network that was popular enough that even the “Windows Live” couldn’t slow it down. Google, on the other hand, knew it didn’t have to partner with Facebook at any cost, they could bide their time and decide whether they want to build their own social network.

How will Microsoft make use of Facebook network?

Microsoft is building and acquiring technologies and expertise to challenge Google for a pot of online advertising revenue that Johnson pegged at $40 billion and growing. Earlier this year, it paid $6 billion for Seattle digital-advertising shop aQuantive, which came with technology to better serve and track online advertisements.

More than just an expanding stream of online-advertising revenue, the Facebook deal represents a chance for Microsoft to tightly bind itself and its technology to the en vogue world of social networking.
Social networks, including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Google’s Orkut and many more, have skyrocketed in popularity. People spend hours building and updating personal Web pages with photos, videos, links. They stay in touch with friends, classmates and co-workers by visiting pages, which include all manner of add-on Web applications for sharing musical tastes, sending instant messages and virtually anything else.

A new Microsoft tool for making hybrid Web applications will allow programs to be published directly to Facebook pages. Facebook supports Microsoft’s new Web video platform, Silverlight, which competes with Adobe Flash. And Microsoft and Facebook have worked on other tools for software developers. Microsoft is building its own technologies, such as mapping and advertising systems, and letting third-parties use them. Facebook, on the other hand, invites developers to build applications and provides a venue for distribution to its users.

The future looks bright for Microsoft as we all know that Facebook is one of the most premium properties online today from a social-networking standpoint. This deal represents a major advertising syndication win for Microsoft.

Some Related Articles:

Microsoft acquires equit stake in Facebook
Facebook sells $250m stake to Microsoft
Microsoft acquires minority stake in Facebook
Microsoft expands advertising partnership
Microsoft contracts an agreement with Facebook

To many people today Web 2.0 may just seem the latest in the never-ending succession of Internet trend, but just like the Internet I can see Web 2.0 staying for long. It mat be or may not be a bubble of sorts, but after reading on so many social networks and search engines I can say that sites like MySpace and Digg place a perfect lesson to teach corporate establishments.

As per me Web 2.0 is a package of both threats and opportunities, the time to take your head out of the sand is now and realize if we can make use of it or let it fade away.
I would like to discuss Web 2.0 in detail, to start with let me define it for you

What is Web 2.0?

Let’s start by examining what exactly we mean by Web 2.0. In its most basic sense, Web 2.0 refers to any tool or application that’s delivered over the Internet and allows people to interact—by contributing, editing and sharing content. Read more…

I’m quite fond of the Really Simple Syndication (RSS), but it hasn’t always been this way. Over the last year or so, while i slowly built a list of RSS feeds for the BBC Web site, I continually scratched my head and wondered, “What’s the point?”

RSS technology is a result of the growth of XML and its ease of use. It allows Webmasters to produce XML news feeds for their sites easily. Those who run reader software can subscribe to and read the feeds. I understood how RSS worked. What I didn’t get was who would see the feeds, why they would read them, and what they would do with the links. Read more…

I won’t say that Facebook is the next Google. It is a whole new religion- not just a space copy for people. The first thing to check when one gets online in the morning and before they go to bed. It’s addicting no doubt.

I recently signed in and just can’t stop exploring it. So many features, such a classic layout, the navigation is very well made too. There are loads of opportunities there for the smart marketer.

• You can build, or hire someone to build, little applications that Facebook users can add to their own Facebook pages. Custom applications can ‘go viral’, passing from user to user, very quickly. If a user adds, say “Trips” to their pages, then all of their Facebook friends will see that one of their friends is now using the same application. They, in turn, may use it. After that, their circle of friends see it and do the same, and so on.

• Blog import: You can import your blog to Facebook and then anyone in your Facebook circle of friends will see it.

• Rubbing elbows: The site offers a lot of opportunities to network and connect with lots of players in their given industries.

Learn about Facebook, folks. Sign up today, and spend a few minutes playing with it each day. It will pay off in the long run. Even if Microsoft buys them, this site has dug in its feet deep as a networking and marketing tool.