Last week saw the release of Microsoft’s first iteration of their operating system since Windows 8.1 - the numerically challenged Windows 10.
In a break from old habits, this major release of Windows is being launched free of charge for all Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users who upgrade within the first year. Using this strategy, Microsoft aims to have their Windows 10 operating system installed on one billion devices within a few years. As a result of this, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 for free as a loss leader (a product sold at a loss to attract customers), in order to draw in more users to their two strategically important and high growth potential services; the Windows Store and Bing.
Bing functionality has been added to some of the key features of the new operating system, and this will provide the search engine more exposure than it has ever had before.
Windows Search
A search box is now included by default in the bottom left hand corner of the taskbar for searching the computer and the web. This is the kind of exposure that other search engines like Yahoo and their recent Java deal can only dream of. Bing’s inclusion in the Windows task bar makes it the first search option users will see when a Windows 10 device is turned on.
Bing being included in the Windows search isn’t completely new, as this feature appeared over a year ago in Windows 8.1. However, the idea has been developed further and is being included in what is likely to be a more popular operating system, as Windows 10 could reach a larger user base than 8.1’s 200 million users within a short time period.
Microsoft may be playing a dangerous game in terms of competition law with this feature though, as no alternative search engines can be switched to within the start menu functionality without a hackey workaround.
Microsoft Cortana
Cortana Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant, first included on Windows Phones, is now making its desktop debut. One of the many uses for Cortana is to answer users vocal search queries. All search queries performed by Cortana utilise Bing to supply the answers. Google already provides similar functionality to Cortana with Google Now for Android phones, but Microsoft’s marketing - using their famed Halo character’s name - and Cortana’s greater exposure in Windows may push Cortana ahead in the digital personal assistant arms race.
Microsoft Edge
The final Bing related feature of Windows 10 is Microsoft’s successor to Internet Explorer, the new Edge web browser. The majority of users upgrading to Windows 10 with “Express Settings” will find that Edge has been made their default browser, with Bing as its default search engine. Microsoft hopes that Edge is the answer to Google Chrome’s dominance, and could help Microsoft achieve a browser dominance which may also translate into an increased share of the search engine market. Microsoft aims to make Edge as easy to use with its own services as Chrome is with Google services, and if they can pull it off Bing could make substantial gains.
Microsoft’s Bing powered features - Cortana and Windows Search - do admittedly sound a little anti-competitive, with no search engine choice built into either of the two features. However, as Google continues to heavily favour its own services in its search results pages (EU antitrust cases against Google have been rumbling on for over 6 years now), Microsoft is likely to get away with the lack of user choice.
Final Thoughts
Windows 10 could be the tonic that Bing needs to gain mass exposure. But despite all the coverage, the questions that remain are:
- Will people use and like these new Bing powered features?
- And will users who’ve been using Google for years switch to Bing as their default search engine?
Microsoft believes a significant percentage will convert, claiming in a now pulled blog post that their search query volume would grow by 10-15% as a result of Windows 10. For those of us in digital marketing, Bing will be studied very closely over the coming months.
Header Image Credit: Flickr. Magnifying Glass 1/5, John Lester. CC BY 2.0
