Facepalm: Regardless of being the world’s second-largest search engine, Bing continues to carry a minuscule market share in comparison with Google. Microsoft is clearly dissatisfied with this disparity and is making each effort to drive even a modest improve in consumer site visitors, even when it borders on being unethical.
Microsoft lately launched one other tactic in its ongoing efforts to encourage customers to decide on Bing over Google. The Redmond-based company appears acutely conscious that many customers seek for “Google” on Bing, and it has devised a method to capitalize on this habits, organising what can solely be described as a intelligent “entice” for this particular question.
As first reported by Home windows Newest, customers who seek for “Google” on Bing with out being signed right into a Microsoft account encounter a uniquely designed web page. This web page includes a central search field styled to resemble a Google Doodle, whereas commonplace Bing search outcomes seem under.
Curiously, the design conceals the normal Bing search field on the high of the web page, steering customers towards the central field to course of their queries by means of Bing’s servers. The imitation Google web page seems throughout Edge, Chrome, and Firefox browsers, disappearing solely when the consumer logs into their Microsoft account.
Microsoft has employed varied techniques to pressure customers into adopting Bing and Edge prior to now, however resorting to imitating Google’s homepage marks a brand new low for the Redmond firm. Even the lately launched official Bing app has been noticed partaking in questionable, malware-like habits on customers’ PCs to additional advance Microsoft’s enterprise agenda.
The actual problem lies in Microsoft’s monopolistic method to expertise – although it is price noting that many different firms make use of comparable methods to maximise income and reduce bills. Google, as an example, which was lately declared a monopoly within the search engine market by US authorities, can be infamous for leveraging its dominant place to stifle competitors.
Google typically shows notifications on its web sites, encouraging customers to obtain and use the Chrome browser as an alternative of Edge or Firefox. Nonetheless, even in gentle of the US Division of Justice’s latest ruling, Google’s techniques seem considerably much less aggressive in comparison with Microsoft’s relentless push to advertise Bing.