Microsoft new search product, codenamed: Kumo
Let’s face it, Live Search hasn’t really done well in the grand scheme of online search compared to Google and Yahoo.
So the Microsoft guys have decided to test their new product. Codenamed: Kumo, Microsoft has asked their employees to test the new system internally. In fact, the changed their internal DNS to redirect live.com to the new product.
Take a look at some of the screenshots from Kara Swisher’s blog -
http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2009/03/downloadedfile.gif
http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2009/03/downloadedfile-1.gif
http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2009/03/downloadedfile-2.gif
You can see that Microsoft intends to show your search results in various categories and media types all in the one page first. If you search for a particular product, you can link directly to reviews, specs, manuals and so on. If you’re searching for a music artist, you again see images, links, lyrics, videos et al.
Different? Well sort of, but the question is how many of us will change the norm in the way we search? If I wanted the video for an artist, I would put the keyword video in it. If I wanted lyrics, I would do the same. It’s only a matter of tweaking my search query to get what I specifically want.
The time and cost involved to build Live.com, hiring more engineers to maintain and build new search products sounds pretty high – maybe it’s cheaper to buy Yahoo!?
Oh well, I can only but wish them the best of luck.
Here it the internal memo from Satya Nadella, Senior Vice President of Research & Development for Microsoft’s Online Division.
From: Satya Nadella
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 4:18 PM
To: Microsoft–All Employees (QBDG)
Subject: Announcement: Internal Search Test Experience
The Search team needs you. We’ve been working hard to improve our search service and want to share the progress we are making with you. We are launching a new test program called kumo.com for employees to try and provide feedback. Kumo.com exists only inside the corporate network, and in order to get enough feedback we will be redirecting internal live.com traffic over to the test site in the coming days. Kumo is the codename we have chosen for the internal test.
In spite of the progress made by search engines, 40% of queries go unanswered; half of queries are about searchers returning to previous tasks; and 46% of search sessions are longer than 20 minutes. These and many other learnings suggest that customers often don’t find what they need from search today.
We believe we can provide a better and more useful search experience that helps you not just search but accomplish tasks. During the test, features will vary by country, but you’ll see results organized in a way that saves you more time. An explorer pane on the left side of results pages will give you access to tools that help you with your tasks. Other features like single session history and hover preview help accomplish more in search sessions.
Your Next Search…
To get started, visit kumo.com or click one of the samples below to see how it’s possible to find the right results more easily:
· Audi S8
· Taylor Swift
. Bose Lifestyle 48
You can also set your search defaults to test site using the instructions here.
Your Feedback is Critical
As employees, you are some of our most informed users and our toughest critics, and we highly value your input and feedback to help us build a better service. You have been an important voice in our efforts, and the feedback you’ve sent us since the company meeting has been amazing.
When you visit kumo.com, at the bottom right corner of the each page you’ll see a feedback badge. We ask that each time you use the test site, click the feedback badge and take a moment to answer four quick and simple questions. Feel free to reach out to give us extra feedback directly on our blog and by mailing sfeed. For answers to common questions make sure to see our FAQ.
We are committed to rapid innovation and improvement. Please give the test site a try, rate the results and let us know what you think.
Satya
I thought I share with you the statistics of my website over the last year and a half. In today’s Media09 conference, it was said that don’t go with the assumption of dragging users to your content – try to get the content to the users.
Social networking, RSS and improving site SEO has been beneficiary in the increase of page impressions on my site thus far.
Now, of course, the figures aren’t much. I’m not someone who dispatches 1000 pages a day – but give the overall picture from late 2007 to today shows the growth thus far. So here goes:
(click for a larger view)
When I got my iPhone, one of the few disadvantages was wireless or Bluetooth sync for my Outlook calendar items. Unlike my previous N95, I have to physically connect my iPhone via cable to get iTunes to sync with Outlook – what a pain!
But now, Google has solved this problem. You will need a Google Calendar account for this to work and my below instructions are for PC only. The setup will look like so:
First you need to download Google Calendar Sync – go here http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=98563 and click on the ‘download’ link.
Install the application (you will have to close Microsoft Outlook) and then follow the setup prompts. Enter your username and password to your Google Calendar account and setup a interval period for when the sync runs again – mine is set to 30 mins. You will also need to choose the Sync method i.e. 2 way (updates both Google & Outlook), or 1 way to update either Outlook only or Google only. I currently have mine as 1 way (Outlook to Google).
On installation the Sync will run once – so all your calendar items should get transferred over to Google Calendar in a few minutes.
Now, plug your iPhone into your computer and make a backup on iTunes. I repeat – MAKE A BACKUP!! Don’t email me back saying you lost all your stuff, tough! The next process will delete all your calendar items on your iPhone. So I suggest doing a sync to copy all your iPhone calendar items into Outlook (via iTunes).
Once the back up is complete, take your iPhone off the laptop and click on Settings. Then open “Mail, Contact, Calendars”. Then click “Add Account” and select Microsoft Exchange as the option. Leave the Domain blank and in the Email field, enter your Google Calendar username followed by the password. Click ‘Next’ on the top right corner. It will attempt to connect to a server, but won’t find one. So the next screen will ask you to enter the Server information. Put in “m.google.com” (without quotes) and click “Next” again. Currently this setup only supports Calendar and Contacts (NOT EMAIL – yet). I only use calendars, so I selected Calendar ‘On’ and the rest ‘Off’.
You will get two pop confirmation requests, stating that your calendar will be wiped out – click Sync on both requests and wait a few minutes. Open up Calendar on your iPhone, and you will start see your Outlook items (after Outlook’s first sync to Google Calendar).
So now if a meeting is cancelled or moved around on my Outlook, within a few minutes it is pushed to my iPhone. And note I use the word “Push” – that’s because Google has used Microsoft’s ActiveSync technology to enable this set up. So your iPhone only connects to get new Calendar data when one is available – saving data transfer.
*UPDATE* – I changed my setting to use FETCH instead of PUSH, as PUSH drained a lot battery on my iPhone. Fetch works just as good and I don’t need to charge my iPhone twice a day.
I am yet to see what happens when a new meeting request is sent – and how it will affect my calendar if I accept the invitation via the iPhone (probably won’t work, as I have a 1 way sync set up).
Going forward, I hope Google allows emails to start working in this fashion, as at the moment you have to Fetch it on a periodic basis.
So, has this worked for you as it has for me? Share your experience below.