MSN today debuted a beta version of its new MSN Search service, providing consumers with more useful answers to their questions and more control over their search experience, which results in faster access to the information they are seeking online. The new MSN Search is designed to reduce the time and effort required by consumers to find information online by offering one of the largest, most up-to-date selections of information and a new class of powerful, customizable search tools. The global Authoritative, direct answers are provided in a number of categories, including definitions, facts, calculations, conversions and solutions to equations. -- Direct actions. When consumers type the name of an artist, song or album, they get linked directly to top music and other content provided by MSN Music. One click allows MSN Search users to sample music, and a second click lets them purchase and download it. -- Content-specific searching. To help consumers quickly get to the information they are looking for, MSN Search enables them to search for specific information using search tabs such as Web, news and images. New Search Tools Offer Consumers More Control Microsoft designed MSN Search to overcome the one-size-fits-all approach offered by other search engines. Pull-down menus and other customization tools built into MSN Search allow consumers to control and refine their searches in the following ways: -- Search Near Me. Consumers can receive search results tailored to a geographic location. A consumer in Portland, Maine, who needs to know the location of the nearest local fire station no longer needs to sift through online listings for Portland, Ore. This is accomplished by assigning geographical information to Web pages as they are indexed by the service. -- Search Builder. MSN Search users can customize search results by emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain search criteria, such as specific sites or domains, countries, regions, or languages. Consumers who want to apply specific criteria to their searches can visit a menu of adjustable on-screen dials for each criterion. The dials can be reset when consumers' criteria change. A consumer who needs current facts and figures can adjust the dial to emphasize the most updated results, and someone looking for the official Web site of a favorite television show can adjust the dial to emphasize the most popular results. Through the efforts of many of its top developers and employees around the world, Microsoft is dedicating thousands of hours to build the new search service, a complete version of which is slated to launch early next year. The new MSN Search is another example of the MSN vision to empower people globally through information, software and services that help them find, discover and experience what they want to online. Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News Your source for investigative ebusiness reporting and breaking news.
MSN Debuts Beta Version of New Search Service
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