Two years after conceding his company erred in not developing its own search engine, Microsoft Corp chief executive Steve Ballmer boasted on Thursday of progress in fighting industry leaders Google Inc and Yahoo Inc.
Ballmer pointed out that Microsoft has, in a relatively short time, advanced in two key areas by creating its own search engine and online advertising platform.
But the software maker still has plenty of work to do -- and Ballmer admits that he had have preferred to have gotten started sooner.
PHOTO: AP
"It would've been nice, there's no question," Ballmer said on Thursday in an interview.
Still, Ballmer defended the company's progress so far.
"I like to tell our people, `I like the years when we make at least a year's progress in a year,'" Ballmer said. "I think we've made more than two years' progress in the last two years, so I'm excited about that. And yet, we have a whole lot more innovation that we want to bring to these areas."
Ballmer spoke at the same online advertising conference where two years ago, he described his company's search error as "the thing I feel worst about over the last few years."
Microsoft only recently began using its own technology for delivering search results, and it remains substantially less popular than Google and Yahoo. Nielsen/Net Ratings reported that Google had 49 percent of the US search market share in March, while Yahoo had 22.5 percent and MSN Search had 11 percent.
Microsoft executives have repeatedly argued that the industry is just beginning to understand the potential of Internet search and that Microsoft is in it for the long term.
"I think we'll look back on this as the DOS era of search," said Christopher Payne, a corporate vice president in charge of Windows Live Search, referencing the very early days of the computer operating system.
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, speaking at the same conference on Wednesday, conceded that Google has done "a great job" on building a search engine and advertising platform.
But he insisted Microsoft's effort is strong.
"I think this is one of the rare cases where we're being underestimated," Gates said.
On Thursday, Microsoft said that it had acquired Massive Inc, a company that inserts advertising into video games, and will work to use Massive's technology for other online products.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Thursday's acquisition is part of the company's efforts to improve its online advertising and better compete with search rivals Google and Yahoo. The deal was announced at an online advertising conference at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.
Advertising has long existed in video games, mostly in the form of static ads and product placements that cannot be changed once the game is sealed for sale.
Massive allows marketers to deliver fresh, new ads into console and PC games via an online connection, including Microsoft's Xbox Live. In games that incorporate Massive's technology, advertisers can change the ads around -- inserting a movie promotion one day or a soda ad the next, for example -- and target ads to specific geographic areas.
Microsoft said in a statement on Thursday that it hoped to make such features available in other products, such as its MSN online products. Massive's technology also will become part of the company's adCenter sales platform.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source