The world’s most popular Internet destination is trying to gain a stronger foothold overseas.
In an effort to compete with Google’s continuously expanding influence Microsoft’s MSN is now offering its Newsbot beta in additional foreign languages.
Newsbot, which was launched back in November, is a news search tool that provides localized news in a variety of languages across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The service has been expanded to include five new regions: Latin America, India, South Africa, Malaysia, and Singapore.
On Wednesday, Moreover Technologies, a leading provider of critical news and business information, announced that it will be working exclusively with MSN to power the Newsbot beta and other international applications such as My MSN.
“We are delighted that MSN has chosen Moreover Technologies as its provider of aggregated current awareness and business information,” said Jim Pitkow, CEO of Moreover Technologies. “This relationship is a further validation of Moreover Technologies’ best-of-breed service.”
MSN has chosen a risky time to test the search engine waters. Research conducted by ComScore Media Metrix indicates that web surfers are less than loyal to their preferred search engines. Further research has shown that only about 30 percent of searchers use MSN.
There is hope for MSN, though. There has been much speculation that MSN’s leading competitor Google is slipping from the top spot, although Google’s chief scientist Craig Silverstein is quick to shoot down those rumors. The March 2004 issue of Technology Review also wonders whether Google will be able to remain dominant despite whispers of an impending IPO.
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Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
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