Microsoft Releases New Search Services for Internet and Mobile Customers |
| Microsoft company logo. (PRNewsFoto)
REDMOND, WA UNITED STATES | |||
Latest releases complete fall updates for Live Search service, including
voice search and location-aware technology.
REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today
announced the final updates to the fall release of its Live Search service,
introducing a broad array of new services and features to its local and
mobile search offerings. The new features and enhancements are designed to
make it easier for people to find what they need at home or on the go
through significant innovations in mapping, imagery and driving directions
as well as new services to make the mobile search experience easy and
powerful.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
Microsoft also announced the availability of the Live Search 411
service. Customers can gain toll-free* access by dialing (800) CALL-411
(800-225-5411) from any phone to find and connect to local businesses and
other local information, such as weather updates, movie show times and
airline information. People using a cell phone with Internet access can
also receive links to traffic maps from Live Search 411.
"Microsoft is building on several years of innovation in imagery and
3-D visualization, adding some of the most significant innovations to
driving directions technology in the last several years and expanding how
our current 185 million customers can experience the improvements to the
core of Live Search to include access from a wider variety of clients,
platforms and devices," said Satya Nadella, corporate vice president of the
Search & Advertising Platform Group at Microsoft. "Collectively, these
improvements build on the work we did in core relevance and differentiated
vertical experiences, and are an important milestone in our efforts in
delivering a comprehensive, innovative search offering that includes
mobile, mapping, Web and local services for customers to find what they
need, when they need it, on any device."
Today's announcement comes on the heels of the release on Sept. 26 of
several new capabilities for Live Search, which included significant
improvements in relevance and coverage in the core Web search service and
expanded the range and depth of information available in areas where most
customers were doing most of their queries -- entertainment, shopping,
health and local searches.
Today's release offers these key features:
Maps and Directions
* Innovative driving directions. The new Live Search offers more
accurate and easy-to-use driving directions, including dynamic
rerouting of directions based on real-time traffic information, one-
click directions that allow drivers to get only essential directions
to their destination with no starting point needed, and inline hints
that tell drivers if they have gone too far based on local
landmarks. Combined with new, one-page printing, these new
enhancements have taken driving directions to the next level.
* Innovative visualization and 3-D. Coverage of bird's-eye and 3-D
imagery has been increased to cover 80 percent of the U.S.
population. In addition, nearly 200 complete cities are available in
3-D, and customers can now combine views of 3-D imagery with Live
Search's unique 45-degree bird's-eye images, giving a complete and
detailed geolocation experience. In addition, people who use Live
Search Maps can create and share their own 3-D models of buildings
through an alliance with Dassault Systemes.
* Innovative local content index including user-generated content. The
new local search capabilities in Live Search include not only a
broad set of expert sources but also broad access to user-generated
content from Live Search and from across the entire Web, through
searchable user-created collections and Keyhole Markup Language
(KML) support.
* Virtual Earth platform updates. The Virtual Earth(TM) platform is
the underlying technology behind well over 1,000 partner mapping
solutions as well as Live Search Maps. Updates in version 6.0 of
Virtual Earth include multipoint trip routing; enhanced geocoding
that combines results for multiple geocoders; rooftop geocoding,
which provides more precise geocoding results; map control support
for Safari 2.0; and the release of MapCruncher beta, making it
easier to publish maps overlaid in an application using the Virtual
Earth map control. More details on the Virtual Earth platform can be
found at http://dev.live.com/virtualearth.
Mobile Enhancements
* Live Search for Windows Mobile with voice input. The updated Live
Search for Windows Mobile(R) 5.0 and 6.0 will be available for
download for free on Tuesday, Oct. 16, and now includes voice input
(beta version), gas prices, and hours of operation for businesses.
The service can also use Global Positioning System (GPS) data on
GPS-enabled phones to provide location-aware local search for
customers.
* Live Search 411. Jointly developed with Tellme Networks Inc.,
acquired by Microsoft earlier this year, a new toll-free number will
be available for anyone using any kind of phone to access the power
of Live Search. Users can simply dial (800) CALL-411 (800-225-5411)
and say the city and state, then ask for the business or business
category to hear a list of options. Users say, "Connect me," to
instantly connect to the business. Cell phone users can ask for a
text message with a link to a map of the business.*
* Live Search for use with BlackBerry(R) Devices. Live Search designed
for use with BlackBerry devices is in beta and will be available for
download for free on Tuesday, Oct. 16. It is a new offering designed
for use on BlackBerry OS 4.0.2 or later phones, and customers with
GPS-enabled phones can use location awareness to enhance their
searches.
More information on the mobile offerings will be available at
http://www.LiveSearchMobile.com and http://www.LiveSearch411.com.
Market availability for specific features varies. More information on
these updated features and services can be found on the following Microsoft
team blogs: http://blogs.msdn.com/livesearch and
http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com.
About Windows Live and MSN
Windows Live(TM), a comprehensive set of personal Internet services and
software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships,
information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and
security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN(R) attracts
more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized
versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages, MSN is a world
leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers
and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. MSN and
Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary
services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1,
2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live and Live Search are available at http://www.live.com. MSN is
located on the Web at http://www.msn.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
* Mobile providers may charge a fee for placing calls.
Microsoft, Virtual Earth, Windows Mobile and Windows Live are
trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
All others are trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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