Microsoft is looking to boost its online shopping search market share. The company has announced an acquisition of Greenfield Online, owners of popular shopping search site 
According to ComScore, Ciao has over 26.5 million unique visitors per month, and the site features over 5 million product reviews. Still, there is some question as to why Microsoft would spend such a large amount of money on such a purchase. according to PaidContent.org.
Microsoft says Ciao's technology platform, online community, and extensive merchant relationships will be integrated within the Live Search platform to deliver a "richer, more rewarding" experience for advertisers and consumers. Microsoft also says its search has three objectives:
- Deliver the best results
- Simplify key tasks
- Innovate in the business model (or simplify how consumers research and purchase online)
"Work is ongoing to ensure that Live Search delivers across all these categories, building on recent progress including the acquisition of Multimap and the decision to open a European Search Technology Centre this financial year," says Microsoft.
Will any of this have a significant effect on Microsoft's search market share? That remains to be seen, but the general feeling is a skeptical one.
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