When Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) launched its Bing search engine in 2009, there were a host of naysayers. Microsoft has been partially vindicated this week as the latest numbers show that Bing is now the #2 search engine in the U.S � knocking Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) from its perch. However, Bing still lags considerably behind Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).
Here are the latest numbers: The Nielsen Company reports that Microsoft�s search services, which include Bing among others, surpassed Yahoo in August for search queries in the U.S. Specifically, MSFT took 13.9% of the pie to Yahoo�s 13.1%. Ask.com and AOL (NYSE: AOL) each squeaked out a measly 2% or so apiece.
So where�s Google, you ask? Towering above all with a whopping 65% share.
Not much of a fight, you might say. But it is worth pointing out that Bing and Yahoo announced a partnership last year that would merge their two search engines, using Bing technology to power Yahoo searches. That transition started last month, and will continue through 2012.
Collectively, the pair may be equipped to take on the juggernaut that is Google, where as apart they would effectively battle to be the last small fish in the pond to get eaten. GOOG will be twice as large as the combined search engine, of course, but that�s better than the #1 topping the #2 by a factor of six.
The real battle may be fought on mobile devices, where toolbar and desktop search software on a hot gadget could presumably boost the Bing-Yahoo model or allow Google to continue its dominance. With Google�s own Android OS as a big up-and-comer for smartphones and tablet PCs, that could mean big trouble for Yahoo and Microsoft.
Then again, Windows Phone 7 is due out in October and could juice the stats in favor of Bing and Yahoo.
Time will tell who will win the mobile war and ultimately whether Microsoft�s Bing will have staying power. The reality is that someone can program a better algorithm tomorrow and take a bite out of both MSFT and GOOG.� But for the time being, it appears that Bing is on the way up, and could be here to stay.
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