Global software behemoth Microsoft on Wednesday said it aims to capture a respectable marketshare in the popular online search engine space currently dominated by Google and Yahoo, even as it admitted that the company has a long way to go.
"We are committed to be the world leader in search engine. But we have ways to go. Search engines are the best way to access information about the world," Steve Ballmer, the CEO of the Redmond-based company said in New Delhi.
"We think we have a great, world-class product. We now have geography mapping technology. We don't have the leading marketshare. We are clear on innovation in this area," Ballmer said.
Microsoft's ambition to topple search giants Google and Yahoo! has been observed by analysts as a continuous effort by the company to remain at the top spot in the entire web and software space.
Microsoft has its own Internet search engine MSN but so far the market has been dominated by Google. In India also MSN India faces tough competition from Google, Rediff and Yahoo.
The software giant's Microsoft's Live Search Engine has been unable to gain a foothold as it is considered to be very slow and is likely to be slower when used on mobile applications.
"We are continuously working to improve our products together with the service providers and vendors across the world and we will see here what can we do," he said.
Microsoft added search to its suite of online services dubbed 'Windows Live,' introducing a number of new features and enhancements including an updated version of 'Live.com' and a Windows Live Toolbar.
'Windows Live Search' complements MSN search, and ultimately both the services will be powered by the same underlying technology. While the Windows Live suite will focus primarily on productivity, the MSN brand will continue to evolve as a media and content destination.
He said in countries like India where computer penetration is low, mobility or mobile communication should be more so that information flow is maintained.
The company, which announced a mobile search engine alliance with cellular service company Hutchison Essar on Wednesday to offer Windows Live search engines on handsets, said mobile services will drive more uses of search engines and stimulate e-commerce and advertisement markets in India.
The Microsoft CEO took the opportunity to describe the company's new upcoming software packages -- Windows 2007, and Vista -- the new Window version of Office software and a new operating system -- as the most exciting new computer software ever released by Microsoft.
"This certainly will stimulate and galvanise the PC industry and we will be announcing them soon and shipping them shortly.
Microsoft is gearing up for a huge product launch on November 30 to officially announce the business availability of a whole new products, including Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange Server 2007.
