Among all Microsoft products, online services have been elevated to a very important position, with Bing being a strategically critical asset for Microsoft.
From the system to Office, from MSN to Skype, from internet strategy to mobile internet layout, and then from the system layer to big data cloud computing, all these indicate that Microsoft is more inclined towards expanding its online business. However, for the synergy between different levels and products, plus the massive information flow acquisition demand of users, the only thing that can significantly enhance the practicality of Microsoft's various products and user experience is Bing, which is also the value of Bing!
It is strategic. Conversely analyzing, Bing search will play an extremely important and irreplaceable role in Microsoft's entire online business domain. Even if Bing does not make a profit within 10 years, its value will still be indirectly realized, yielding rich returns from all other Microsoft products.
Once Bing secures a place in the search market and develops sustainably over the long term, becoming a global search engine that can truly rival Google, the original value of Bing will be truly reflected, and this value is an astronomical number raised to the nth power. Therefore, Microsoft is playing a big game, and continuing on this path will only lead to victory, not failure. It must be said that Microsoft's long-term vision was already proven 10 years ago with Windows Live Search!
Bing's product philosophy
All technology companies strive to make their products as good as possible. Besides technical success, how to turn a product into a fine piece of craftsmanship, probably only Apple and Microsoft's Bing have truly achieved it! On the technical side, apart from the accuracy of search technology, diversified search results are also one of Bing's main strategies, which will present many SNS-related data associated with search keywords in the search results, fully expanding the breadth of search results and enhancing the search experience. Of course, this is just an overall direction. In countries outside the U.S., such as China, India, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, and the UK, Bing will fully integrate local elements, deeply exploring the market of a specific country and serving the netizens of that country.
Of course, when mentioning search engines, we must mention Google. Coincidentally, there is a joke about Bing and Google: The meaning of Bing is "Because it's not Google!" This is Bing, accurate and diversified search results, perfectly delightful like a piece of art.
Bing's accuracy and user experience
Since its launch in June 2009, Bing has engaged in deep technical cooperation with Yahoo, subsequently established a research institute, and conducted blind tests in the U.S. market to objectively guide users with rational search results. We must admit that in just over four years, Bing's search accuracy, user experience, and market share have all seen stable growth.
Bing's global development strategy and latest measures
Facing the huge global search market, Bing's strategy is well-organized. When the Bing brand went global, it selectively encircled key points to capture territories, including important countries and regions such as Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Brazil, Malaysia, and Australia. Then, it directly attacked the U.S. market because the U.S. has always been the core of the global IT industry, and excellent performance in the U.S. would accelerate the progress of the global strategy.
Deep cooperation with Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, public blind tests with Google, and other measures have all made Bing gain global attention and recognition, quickly becoming the world's second-largest search engine. With the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft chose to reintroduce bundling strategies, tightly integrating Bing with the system and deeply embedding it, moving the search entry point to the desktop for faster and more convenient searches. At the same time, IE11's pre-rendering technology will greatly speed up search times.
Additionally, Microsoft has integrated the internet and mobile internet, making its acquisition of Nokia even more advantageous in the mobile internet space. As Microsoft rises in the mobile internet market, Bing will find new battlegrounds. Moreover, there is a pleasant change: Bing has changed its logo. After a year of preparation, Bing has abandoned its slightly curled blue logo and adopted a modern mark that resonates with the "golden yellow" part of Microsoft's new logo introduced last year. It has also improved the mobile search experience, providing users with richer and more intuitive search results.
Bing's development measures and encountered problems in China
In China, due to language differences and the saturation of domestic search competition, Bing's growth seems to have slowed down. For the first three years since its domestic launch, Microsoft promoted the "Bing 必应" brand. In the past year, it started localized measures, including targeting English search to meet the rigid demand of domestic users for English searches, cooperating with numerous domestic websites, launching URL navigation, software centers, and Bing influence. Just last week, Microsoft officially announced its intention to confront Baidu, 360, and Sogou head-on, not following a differentiated route. All these efforts still require a long journey, but Microsoft's Bing continues to advance positively. Currently, the most gratifying aspects are two:
First, Bing has begun implementing localized measures in China and actively promoting the localization process;
Second, it continues to vigorously promote the "Bing 必应" brand, achieving good results so far and will continue doing so.
However, during this process, many issues need further resolution:
First, in terms of localization: How to further intensify localization efforts, formulate and execute more effective localization strategies, and rapidly increase Bing's actual market share in China.
Second, in terms of branding: Formulate more effective brand promotion strategies and strengthen brand protection, protecting its own domain names and trademarks, and quickly advancing brand influence. Previously, some related trademarks and bing generic URLs were registered by Jiangsu Biying Business Information Technology Co., Ltd., redirecting inputs of "Biying" or "bing" to www.bingit.net.cn. Jiangsu Biying focuses on the lucrative field of mobile internet. Related domains of "BING" have also been snapped up by domain investors, such as abing.com, bbing.com, cbing.com, dbing.com, etc. More devastatingly, the "Chinese Cake Network www.bing.cn.com" appeared. Upon investigation, the Chinese Cake Network was established in September 2010, with the domain name bing.cn.com, which is extremely similar to Bing 必应's cn.bing.com. A slight misstep could lead to confusion between the two. The longer these issues persist, the more disadvantageous they become for Bing. In this aspect, Microsoft really should learn from Google.
Bing's future in China and the direction of localization
Microsoft Bing's development prospects and localization routes in China have always been the focus of many network tycoons and IT professionals. The following four factors will directly affect Bing's development:
First, while providing English search, strengthen the R&D of Chinese search;
Second, form broad alliances and increase cooperation with domestic websites and IT companies;
Third, increase investment in search entry points. Although the latest Windows 8.1 has bundled Bing search and IE11 has significantly accelerated Bing search, and the search entry point has been moved to the desktop in the system, the actual promotion and installation numbers of Windows 8.1 and IE11 in China still need more effort. In the mobile internet sector, Surface tablets and the latest Nokia phones equipped with the Windows Phone system have yet to firmly establish themselves in the market. All these require further efforts to bear fruit. More importantly, the search habits of Chinese netizens need guidance and "management," so effective investments should be increased in URL navigation, software downloads, input methods, browsers, SNS websites, portal sites, and other entry points.
Fourth, while protecting the brand, increase the actual influence of the brand in the hearts of netizens, for example, through public welfare causes, industry conferences, and other means for soft promotion.
In summary, Microsoft still has a long way to go both domestically and globally, and we look forward to a leapfrog development in the near future.