India Internet News
Baidu Offers Search Results In English With Microsoft Bing Support
12 July 2011
Baidu, having third quarter of the search market in China, has enter into an agreement with Microsoft Bing to provide English-language search to Baidu users, since Baidu is looking to expand abroad and Microsoft need to increase its China presence.
Baidu governs the search engine market of China after Google Inc withdrawn following a high-profile fallout with Beijing over censorship last year.
This collaboration will let English-language input in the search box of Baidu to automatically trigger Bing, whose search results will be presented to Baidu's web pages, Baidu said in a statement sent by mail. They added that this collaboration would help Baidu to improve its English-language search services as it is trying to push into the international search market, and at the same time providing Microsoft's Bing a better access to China's more than 450 million Internet users.
Dong Xu, an analyst of Analysys International, informed that, "The cooperation between Baidu and Microsoft will further strengthen Baidu's dominance in China's search engine market, and will also make Google's business in China more difficult. The move will also pave the way for Baidu's overseas business expansion, especially in the English-language search market."
As per Analysys International information, Baidu was having 76% of the Chinese search market in the first quarter of 2011, whereas Bing's share was negligible. Baidu has also been continuously moving into different business areas of.
In the previous month, they told that it paid $306 million to acquire a majority stake in travel website Qunar, since it concentrates on e-commerce and online video.
Baidu shares have been rising continuously, 48 percent this year until now although there has been a drop in June, as concerns about fraud at some Chinese companies listed overseas knock Chinese companies listed in New York more broadly.
According to analysts, China is one of the largest Internet market in this world; but with web penetration rolling around 30% and absence of sophisticated users outside the big cities, the growth potential is huge.