“It’s come to this. In an effort to gain more market share, Microsoft plans to start paying people now to use its search service,” Wendy Tanaka reports for Forbes.
“The software giant is said to be launching a service called LiveSearch cashback, which will give consumers money back when they buy certain products found on the live.com search site,” Tanaka reports.
“The move appears to be a desperate attempt by Microsoft to grow search and ultimately boost its search advertising revenues,” Tanaka reports.
“After spending a fruitless three months attempting to woo Yahoo!, Microsoft is trying to find ways to rev up its online advertising business, which trails behind Yahoo! and even further behind industry leader Google, which also has the No. 1 search engine with more than 60% market share,” Tanaka reports.
Tanaka reports, “Coming up with mobile and in-game advertising strategies is another big focus in Redmond. Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, said the number of cell phones that can receive rich media ads is going to triple in the next couple of years. ‘We think mobile is a tremendous opportunity going forward,’ Bach said.”
Tanaka reports, “”Bach said Microsoft is experimenting with integrating ads and games, so users don’t view them as nuisances.”
More in the full article here.
J. Nicholas Hoover reports for InformationWeek, “This isn’t the first time Microsoft has rewarded people using its search engine. Last year, Microsoft rewarded users for playing search games with a site called Live Search Club. That initiative provided a temporary boost in Microsoft’s search market share, but was later found to have been gamed by hackers looking to increase their awards.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Scott” for the heads up.]
Can’t compete? Bribe. It’s like second nature to Microsoft.
“How can we increase our market share ? Search me”, says Ballmer.
Microsloth can take thier friggin’ adverts, and their filthy, ill-gotten lucre, and stick em where the sun doesn’t shine.
Idiots couldn’t innovate their way out of a wet paper bag.
<< Microsoft is experimenting with integrating ads and games, so users don’t view them as nuisances.” >>
What about using Vista. That’s nuisance redefined.
As far as the cashback on purchased made from vendors found using liveSearch- From a business perspective- might not be a such a bad idea. Of course, there’s gotta be more to it then this. Do you have to search using internet explorer, do you have to be running the search query from a vista machine. Do u have to be a Zune owner. Are u disqualified if u ever walking inside an Apple store. Details to follow.
Just a way for them to waste more money. They can’t have much left, can they?
I forgot…
This ‘offer’ is good-
“Except in Nebraska”
Thank goodness Microsoft never uses cash bribes on the government. That could be…
…ooooh. I suddenly feel very compromised.
maybe monkey boy should pay people to use Vista !!
bribes… advertising on zunes.. and copyright cop embedded in anything with a M$ logo on it….. lol they are amazing. Obviously prolonged exposure to vista has serious implications on the ability to make good decisions
“…Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, said the number of cell phones that can receive rich media ads is going to triple in the next couple of years. ‘We think mobile is a tremendous opportunity going forward,’ Bach said.””
Right – Apple’s iPhones will quadruple!*
– Doga Doga
* or more!
I love Steve’s androgynous swivel money-hand. It makes him look even more waxily lifeless.
With much Photoshop comes much responsibility.
Ok, this is a very misleading title. You are not “paid to search” per say, you are paid cash back to buy things, like any number of sites are doing (for example fatwallet, and even upromise). Now, this LIVE cashback program is actually an off-shoot of a site that M$ bought last year called Jellyfish.com, of which I am an active participant username ajdowntown).
Look, I love bashing M$ as much as the next guy, but there is some serious misleading going on in this article.
Can someone use a “blur” filter on that pic of Ballmer. Those crevices and canyons on his face are just a little too hyperrealistic.
Nice photo. Egg-ducker has womanish hands?
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Here is a better article from Information Week that gives a better idea of what is going on:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801588
Sorry, Google & Yahoo. There’s a new sheriff in town. The internet now belongs to Microsoft and I, along with my 97.5% market share friends are grateful.
Just when I thought the Microsoft experience couldn’t get any better the geniuses in Redmond come up with this. You mean I get paid to use magnificent Microsoft technology? Sign me up!
Your potential. Our passion.™
Someone went to all the trouble to Photoshop that together and didn’t do a simple flip horizontal on the hand with the money in it.
My second positive statement about Baldy…he could get a Palmolive endorsement.
Wow, they just do everything wrong. I wish someone would sneak a video of a meeting where they brainstorm this kind of stuff.
tell ya want MS, if you buy me a MBA i will promise to *always* use your search on it, k?
after reading the article I am scared. MSF wants to send ads to your mobile phone.
great i get charged per txt message. if i start getting ads via text messages I will sue the senders. You can’t charge me for advertising.
Such innovation!
Yuk. Anyone else feel they suddenly need a shower?
Instead of cash, maybe MS should give people Zune Points! Woo-hoo!
Now here is something to contemplate: Apple can get people to pay $99 for a service that is elsewhere free (dot Mac), while Microsoft has to bribe people to use a free service. Hm. Steve Jobs would protest that he’s not a salesman, but he’s a better one than Steve Ballmer.
Wait a minute! I just realized–Microsoft is a great innovator, after all!
…of ways to make things more annoying than ever.