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Microsoft In Mobile Search Deal With Verizon

Posted by kdawson on from the sea-spider dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Verizon Wireless will forge a deal with Microsoft to include the software giant's Live Search on its mobile phones, giving Microsoft a victory over rival Google and ending a months-long dance toward the partnership. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will announce the deal in his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas." InfoWorld notes that Microsoft is rumored to be changing the name of its Live Search service to Kumo, which is Japanese for "cloud."

6 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. This makes for a fine game of Chess. by gcnaddict · · Score: 4, Interesting
    It's interesting how Microsoft nailed Dell for search. They've now got Verizon as well, which leads me to think that either:
    1. Microsoft offered more money, or
    2. companies are getting weary of partnering with Google and dealing with Google's bottomless desire for control.

    It'd be interesting to see how all of this plays out.

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    1. Re:This makes for a fine game of Chess. by nine-times · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If people are siding with Microsoft because they're afraid of Google taking anti-competitive actions, then either:

      1. something has happened that I haven't heard about.
      2. the people making the decisions don't know what they're doing.

      I'd bet that Microsoft is paying more.

  2. Will they be paying users to use search? by Vandil+X · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seeing as how Verizon likes to charge a lot for its data plans, will Microsoft re-issue its previous plan of paying people for using Live Search? Would be a way to offset the mobile data cost.

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  3. Re:Let me be the first to say... by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...I'm glad my Verizon contract is up.

    I don't really care as I'm in the (apparently shrinking) pool of people who only use my cell phone to make and receive phone calls.

    Does anybody know what happened to Verizon's much touted plan to provide open access? Funny how we haven't heard anything about that lately isn't it? If I was a cynical person I might assume that they only made that announcement to forestall efforts to impose an open network via the regulatory structure.....

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  4. In Japanese by BetterSense · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "kumo" can also mean "spider"

  5. Re:Bottomless desire for control???? by Korin43 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hah you clearly have never used a Verizon phone.
    Not only can you not customize anything (except using the 3 themes it comes with), but you can't install ANY application without paying $5-15 (keep in mind these are all clones of games from the 80's with their characters replaced with people from movies), and you can't use the GPS without paying $9/mo for their crappy GPS service which doesn't integrate with other programs. Oh and did I mention that if you want to add your own programs you have to pay a couple thousand dollars?