Microsoft and Yahoo are in the middle of re-negotiating their Bing search engine deal

Microsoft and Yahoo are currently re-negotiating their 10 year agreement for Yahoo to use the Bing search engine on its site. The deal officially started in 2010, but the agreement did allow for the two companies to make changes to the contract, or even end it, after five years.

According to Reuters, Microsoft and Yahoo originally had 30 days to make changes to the Bing agreement after February 23. However, in a filing on Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the two companies announced they had agreed to extend those talks by another 30 days.

Adding the Bing engine to Yahoo has so far not been successful in cutting down the Internet market share of the biggest search engine, Google. Reuters says:

Google still controls roughly two-thirds of the U.S. search market, while Microsoft and Yahoo's combined share of the market is essentially unchanged at roughly 30 percent.

The original deal was crafted in 2010 by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. Since then, both companies have seen changes in leadership, with Satya Nadella now in charge of Microsoft and Marissa Mayer now CEO of Yahoo. Mayer has been publicly critical of the original Bing search engine deal in the past.

Source: Reuters

112 Comments

Pretty sure Meyers want to build her own search engine, so i doubt this deal will last to 2020.
Probably.. But in the meantime they will probably go with Google...... Unless Microsoft puts up a good fight to stay on it. Posted from my HTC M8
Undoubtably, she would love to partner with her Google buddies and help kill off Bing so there is only one search engine available. In fact, that was likely the original plan when she left Google to join Yahoo, destory the Yahoo/Bing deal. Also, the FTC seems to love Google monopolitist behavior, so who knows?
Meyers is probably pretty easy to buy off. She wants to show she is in charge of things and will be quick to throw in with google if it gets her name in the press.
Building a search engine so early won't be an easy job nor financially viable for the cash strapped Yahoo! Inc. They might stick with Bing for now unless Microsoft asks them to pay too much.
They already had a search engine. It stunk but they would just have to turn it back on.
They should go with duck duck goose.
Duckduckgo? Lol xD
So much better than Google
While DuckDuckGo started implementing web crawling, they've primarily relied on using 3rd party search engines like Google & Bing. It takes a lot of resources and time to build a fully fleshed search engine that works well. So even using DuckDuck, your still getting results from the other search engines.
As good as she is, she might end with her own search engine too!
Seriously, who still uses yahoo?
You would be surprised what the computer illiterate masses use. I know ppl who try using anything that resembles a search text box.
LOL...soo true
AOL :P
I use Yahoo only for Yahoo Answers community.
Ask Jeeves.
And also, who still uses google?
I sure as hell don't use google search. I always seem to get better results with Bing.
Depends on what you are looking for and where your located. I get better Bing results for commonly known information. Like if I'm searching for travel destinations. Google is much better for finding very specific vague searches. Like if I am searching to troubleshoot a problem with a computer.
I've not had trouble finding even vague kind of information using Bing to resolve issues with my computer. What I do suspect and I have nothing but antidotal experience to back this up but I feel Bing learns what you search for over time and stacks results with those types of articles pertaining to what you search for. Admittedly, there was a time I would use both when I'm in a pickle but in the last 2 years, I've not needed google for any searches. Bing always pointed me in the right direction. Especially when it comes to drivers. Google would often give results no mater who mentioned the word in your search, Bing would supply corporate information on the right side of the search result, so you get drivers from the company and not drivers bundled with adware.
Everyone that isn't living in the US.
Yahoo is still very relevant. It's the people who use Google that I would be worried for ;)
But the way Windows 10 is setup. They don't even need Yahoo. Bing is everywhere. It's in Cortana. Its in Cortana on Spartan. Its probably the default search engine on Spartan. And it searches on Bing and Local files when you use the search bar. If Windows 10 takes off the way everyone is expecting it to. Bing usage will skyrocket.
Yeah, but why cut off a potentially useful partner? As long as Yahoo is the default in Mozilla, being the brains behind Yahoo search gives you access to that market.
Since most average people live in the browser, having Bing native in Win10 search (like it is in Win8) will have a minor or minimal impact on marketshare. Most people aren't going to use the native os search function for web searches, they will use the browser omni-box or go straight to Google/Bing/Yahoo website. Also, MS has to tread carefully about making it default in the browser because of potential monopoly charges, in fact, I believe in many countries they can't set a default search but instead have to provide a "pop up" giving a list of major search engines upon initial set-up. And in places like the EU, Google already has like 90% marketshare and Mindshare. Its difficult to make people change habit, and search companies are sticky in the mind because people get accustomed to the one they use.
Would nice if yahoo built some apps(in English) for wp
With Marissa Mayer as the CEO, Probably never. :/
So sad yet so true
I petty them when WP grows, because by then they must have lost a lot of users, same applies to those stubborn organisations and devolopers. If they don't build an app, users will always find alternatives.
@FarStrider2001:
This is something I simply cannot believe. Microsoft has contracts or agreements with so many companies. Still they're not able to capitalize on these partnerships. Yahoo! is just one example of a partner who refuses to make apps for Windows (Phone). HBO and Sky are further ones. At least Wolfram Alpha finally made an app, but it's unbelievable how many years it took them.
They couldn't even if they wanted to. Yahoo's poor finances mean that the company is permanently under shareholder scrutiny. Already, they're being forced to spin off their stake in Alibaba for the sake of "unlocking shareholder value" and buying back $2 billion of shares. In such a climate, developing apps for the 3rd largest mobile platform with a small (relative) userbase wouldn't go down well. Meyer might have pro-Google tendencies but she's trying her best with the hand she has been dealt with.
@pulkit10:
If I were in Microsoft's position I would offer my partners to finance/compensate for the development of the apps. They are rumoured to have done that before, but the difference in that case would be, that companies who are already in some kind of partnership with Microsoft should be more willing, or at least less reluctant, to bring their brand to the Windows platform (compared to for example Snapchat).
Nonono yahoo?! I HATE YAHOO!!!
I think Bing has a bad image.
First, the name. It sounds like something cheap. I don't know how to tell this, but anyway.
Also for others, Bing it's not even a search engine.
A week ago a friend of mine, a girl, told me "..nooo...I don't like Bing".
I asked why and she couldn't answer because she never used it, but she said ".. Bing it's that thing that always install itself on the computer and I always try to delete it"....
Aehm....!
-Microsoft peeps over the google fence- Hey... Hey you... Yeah you... Want some Bing?
Its funny how people will always focus on negative aspects of Bing while ignoring the fact that Google does things like that as well. Installing apps they dont want? Look no further than installing flash from Adobe's website. If your not careful, you get Google tagging along on the install.
True it tries to install chrome with it
It was in a movie..some robot arena fight thing. There was Bing all over the arena place. Looked pretty awesome to me
Its other name is cortana Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
Easy fix for bad Bing image... change the name to "Bling"
Considering that Mayer is a Google alum it wouldnt be surprising if the Bing/Yahoo relationship ends soon. Yahoo is crap now anyways. I abandoned Yahoo even before I tossed Google out of my life.
Bing should be renamed to Cortana.
The search icon on phones should change in the Cortana circle icon.
Now it wont have to compete versus google as a search engine, but it is simply a different thing. The next thing. Search engines are past in a few years. Cortana does the search for you. Problem solved. Microsoft is ahead of the game. The end.
Agree with the "Cortana name engine"
Wow. I like that! +920 ;)
Fantastic idea!!! I was thinking the same. I hope someone from MS is reading this.
start a uservoice someone.... & post the link
sorry wrong link, i made the uservoice under the Office uservoice, This is the good link: https://binglistens.uservoice.com/forums/283355-ideas/suggestions/735930...
I voted for this!
Yes
This!
sorry wrong link, i made the uservoice under the Office uservoice, This is the good link: https://binglistens.uservoice.com/forums/283355-ideas/suggestions/735930...
Voted.
Voted this.
Fantastic idea! +1020
Voted! Fantastic idea! I have also started a user voice page on wp page. Here's the link:
https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/sug...
Uhm why two uservoices? Makes no sense. It cuts the votes in half and it wont rise as fast.
Or vote for both like I just did
How will it sound when you tell a person to Cortana it! ....Bing is super fine just like Internet Explorer . I don't know why you people are allergic to good things
No, instead of Bing it or Google it you just say "Use Cortana" :).
Exactly! Don't emulate what's been done by the other companies...tread ur own path. People will adjust to it if it's a wonderful product.
It would be following other companies. Other digital assistants already do this, like Google Now. It can pull info by doing traditional searches, direct info contextual searches, web, local device, and app searches, as well as pulling info to display relevant information to the user without them needing to even perform a search. I haven't got to use Cortana yet, but I would imagine the service already does similar things.
Ask cortana Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
You can just 'Ask Cortana'
Vote up for changing search icon on phone!
I was thinking that! Awesome idea.
I'm not sure about Cortana, but other digital assistants, Like Google Now already integrate search into their function. When performing a search you either get direct information based on a question (i.e. Whats the weather, convert units, etc) or you get a traditional search function & search returns for other types of searches. Even if the search icon were to change, they would still be competing with Google in both search and competing with Google Now in the in regards to marketshare.
I use to use Google until March 6 of 2014. Why? Because Google voids so much privacy, It's un ****ing real. Intried using Yahoo! before and before the Agreement, It sucked. Bing > Google > Yahoo!
U might want to give duckduckgo a try then... Doesn't sell ur data, as far as I know
If they want to increase market share they need to add ALL features worldwide and for the search results to stop being awful outside the US.
They've said on the User Voice page that they're aware of that and are working on it.
Well yeah, but the problem is they've been saying that for a couple of years already. We're tired of waiting all the time. They need a little bit more urgency, especially when it comes to English-speaking countries as well as European markets. There is nothing more frustrating than being sold on gold dust and promises only to have to wait 12 months for 20% of the features to be available. For WP we've been waiting 4 years for a lot of features... it took 2 years just to get local scout and to be able to buy music!! I'm from Australia BTW, not some backwards 3rd World country, so people have a low tolerance for waiting years for things when they're already available on Android and IOS. Or in the case of Bing, already far better options, available Worldwide, in Google.
I want Yahoo mail apps.. :/
Duck duck loose
I agree with you @schlubadud.
I'm I reading this wrong: "Adding the Bing engine to Yahoo has so far not been successful in cutting down the Internet market share of the biggest search engine, Google." Combined 30% of search is very successful.
That depends on the starting point and what they expected. If Yahoo and Bing were combined for 27% of the marketshare in 2010, and they expecte to be up near 40% by now, then being at 30% isn't successful.
I also consider 30% to be very successful :P
I thought Yahoo had their own search engine and search service (the one that's default for Mozilla Firefox). So what's this deal about?
Yahoo uses Bing as the backend, rather than using their own Search Engine (which was shut down quite a while back).
Yahoo changed in 2010 to make Bing handle the back-end of their search engine. Yahoo still has a search engine, it's just powered by Bing, as opposed to Yahoo's own algorithms and such. Go search for something on Yahoo, scroll to the bottom, and you'll see, "Powered by Bing™" at the bottom.
That is also powered by Bing.
I dont know why Microsoft has success in cloud computing but Bing services suck big time. I really want to search with bing, it just fails to show comparable results with google, even when i search for something about microsoft products ! In asia, no one wants to use it, Ms must improve their data mining works.
I want to use it, along with everyone else in here just about. I like Bing better than Google to be honest, I get better results using Bing. Where you live?
Quiet honestly Bing sucks.. so far behind out side of us.. Yahoo should move on from this deal Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android
Unfortunately you're right. I still use Bing primarily because I hate Google but if I can't find what I need I reluctantly do a Google search.
How does bing suck? I use it everyday and i love it.
This^^
I live outside US and Bing works fine, if I need an english result I switch to bing US... is that hard? no. but I expect people like you complaining. you don't even use WP... and I wonder what Microsoft products you use. Maybe you haven't touched Bing since 2009, and that's why you say it sucks... yeah right. It doesn't suck outside US, it only has less feature than US, but some features don't change web results. it's not like Google brings better results, they are or even, or sometimes google wins and many times Bing wins as well. I don't live in US... so yeah you are just talking crap. ^__________^
This too! ^^
I really don't know what people search for on the internet. Whenever I've done side by side comparisons of Scroogle and Bing, the results were almost pretty similar everytime. I first started using Bing when it was Live, I liked how the graphics search was better, instead of having to page through the results it was a continuous scroll. It made it very easy to go back and forth.
Now I do more technical searches and Bing does a better job in displaying snippets of code in the results so most of the time I don't have to open up the links.
I like the Cortana idea, but let us not forget that Bing powers Cortana... And Siri by the way too ;)
They hate Microsoft in general, bing gives me everything I enquire. My profession involves a lot of researching so I bing on daily basis
Right same here
Wall St. was excited when Marissa Meyer took over Yahoo but it's been years and she hasn't done anything with it.
Nutella will find a way to ruin the deal.
Though Bing is good to use.. Google has better search results. I Still hate Google.!!
they offer similar results in most subjects people search daily.... so no, Google doesn't have better results, sometimes Bing does, and sometimes google does, and I am suck duckgo as well. but most of the time the results are similar. In my opinion google sucks and their results don't seem impressive, but like people say, I am outside US... so maybe google just sucks outside US.
It's the other way around for me, search result is always US result which is useless, so Bing sucks outside US.
Yahoo sucks. Ditch them.
I'm big microsoft fan, but I don't like bing because poor results... I hope they'll make it better. Now im using google and Chrome as browser. Waiting for Spartan!
It's very infrequent that I get a better search result with google over Bing.
My number one Bing complaint is that I can't limit results for the last year. If I'm troubleshooting software, the last month info is too short, but I really don't care about posts 5 plus years old. That sends me to google.
Huh? When you filter for "within the last year" you get results for the last 12 months.
Vote for this to change bings name to Cortana! https://binglistens.uservoice.com/forums/283355-ideas/suggestions/735930...
So 3 out of 10 people use Bing. I would call that somewhat successful. I stopped going to yahoo because they love to post anti-MS as a leading headline (mostly some motley fool or bgr article) on their main page.
Best search engine is Bing.com....i was using google before 2009 but after bing there is nothing better than BING smart search engine. also as you know google use user data... and sell them to third parties... just pay google and get age, sex, location of anyone!!! dark ideology and many people do not know anything about it!
While I like Bing, this notion of Google selling data is incorrect and false. They do not sell your data to 3rd parties. Google retains the data within their own platform. 3rd party advertisers simply use Googles ad platform to input paramaters of the type of customer they want their ads displayed to, then Google matches the 3rd party paramaters against the user data to select a set of users. The information is to valuable to Google for them to turn over to 3rd parties. Any 3rd parties using Googles ad platform never see's any user data, they simply tell Google what type of user they think will find their ads relevant (i.e. Gender, age, location, type of device they use to access the internet,etc)
I use Yahoo only for the stock boards and information. But the coding on their site is horrendous. They also program their sites such that hitting backspace takes you to the search engine in the top of the page rather than taking you to the previous page like every other site on the web does.
Yahoo Finance has (or used to had, not using it anymore so can't say if fixed or not) pretty major bug. From time to time it gets flashbacks, months old data.
Of course, Bing sucks, they don't care about those who are not in US, even if the search region is changed the result is still US result.
Rename Bing to Cortana. Windows 10 is going to make a difference. Yahoo using Google search, Yahoo will cease to exist.
Google News is my preferred news aggregator and I like Youtube. If Google messed around with both I'd have reason to quit Google but not before then. My default search tool is Bing but I use Google Search when Bing results aren't good enough. I think Yahoo-owned Flickr's free 1 Terabyte offer is amazing and the RSS reader at My Yahoo is pretty slick. I dumped Picasa and Gmail when Google dumped Reader.
Its annoying to get Bing Rewards news when it's an American-only promotion. But I'm collecting them anyways in hopes that one day I'll be able to redeem my points.

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