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Will the Microsoft Live Search turmoil ever end?
,----[ Quote ]
| As other pundits have noted, Microsoft needs to try something — anything —
| new to fix its Online Services business.
|
| Microsoft’s query share is stagnating, in spite of the company’s continued
| attempts to tweak business models with programs like Live Search Cashback.
| And its decision to focus on a handful of key verticals hasn’t done a whole
| lot to improve Microsoft’s search mindshare or marketshare, either.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1770
Recent:
Microsoft vague on prospects for reviving HP's Live Cashback deal
,----[ Quote ]
| In summary, here's how events have unfolded in the past week ...
|
| 1) Cash-strapped consumers get excited over the prospect of 40 percent
| cashback from HP.
|
| 2) Microsoft's Live Search Cashback service goes down for much of Black
| Friday; many people can't take advantage of the offer.
|
| 3) Many of those who do get through get 3 percent cashback, rather than the
| promised 40 percent.
|
| 4) In a published report, Microsoft is quoted saying that the HP promotion
| will be restarted soon.
|
| 5) Microsoft makes it clear that HP promotion actually won't be restarted in
| the promised time frame.
|
| Gee, why does Microsoft have such a hard time making money online?
`----
http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsoft_vague_on_prospects_for_reviving_HPs_Live_Cashback_deal35447139.html
Memo to Microsoft: Enough With The Bribery
,----[ Quote ]
| Basically, Microsoft is running a variation on a psychological concept known
| as operant conditioning. Think of yourself for a moment as a mouse in a
| scientist's box, being trained to peck a lever (which, in this case,
| represents a Live search query). Originally, your reward -- a food pellet --
| came out two months later. Now, your pellet comes out within seconds.
|
| [...]
|
| Here's the problem, though: Despite Microsoft's recent claims that its
| efforts were succeeding -- those claims, by the way, were based on a study
| Microsoft itself commissioned -- the numbers just don't add up. Offering a
| few bucks may get people to use the service once, but it's not enough to get
| them to leave their preferred product behind for good.
|
| Don't take my word for it. Check out traffic measurement company ComScore's
| analysis of the shifting search market share over the past several months:
|
| April 2008 (before Microsoft launched Live Cashback)
|
| • Microsoft: 9.1%
|
| • Google: 61.6%
|
| • Yahoo: 20.4%
|
| October 2008 (most recent rankings):
|
| • Microsoft: 8.5%
|
| • Google: 63.1%
|
| • Yahoo: 20.5%
`----
http://www.pcworld.com/article/154740/Live_search.html?tk=rss_news
New Microsoft Cashback Deal Follows Outage
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is making payback quicker on its Cashback program after the service
| suffered an outage Friday and failed to give some people discounts they were
| eligible for.
`----
http://www.pcworld.com/article/154744/.html?tk=rss_news
Microsoft Steps Up Program To Bribe Users To Search
,----[ Quote
| Apparently Microsoft's ongoing program to bribe users to use its search
| engine wasn't getting enough attention, and the company seems to be upping
| the ante. At least for a little while, it's now giving 25% cash back on eBay
| purchases (limited to $200).
`----
http://techdirt.com/articles/20081109/0144342776.shtml
Microsoft ups search engine bribe
,----[ Quote
| As part of its ongoing effort to shrink the Google gap with shameless
| bribery, Microsoft is now offering 25 per cent off eBay purchases made by way
| of its Live Search engine.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/11/microsoft_boosts_ebay_cashback/
More Microsoft Live Search Bribery
,----[ Quote ]
| Just using Microsoft online services isn't enough to get your ticket punched,
| though. You must run Internet Explorer (6.0 or higher) when you use those
| services. Even visiting getsearchperks.com with Firefox or Opera is a futile
| exercise; you will have to start IE to see what goodies the site has to
| offer. Oh, and if you sign up you'll have to install the Perk Counter toolbar
| to let Microsoft keep track of your tickets.
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/10/more_microsoft.html
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