kumo-search-engineWith Google retaining its top slot in the search engines market, Microsoft is trying to set its foot with new Live Search property. Microsoft's new face of Live Search, Kumo will be released at the D: All Things Digital conference, to be held in Carlsbad, Calif. from May 26-28, as reported in Wall Street Journal. The revamp of its search engine is clearly an attempt to put the breaks on Google's runaway success in the search market.  

Since March this year, Microsoft had been testing Kumo internally. This were evident with Microsoft sending messages expressing that the current search engines are not as effective as they could have been.  The idea to revamp the search engine was based on the fact that on an estimate 40 percent of search queries go unanswered and 46 percent of search sessions consume more than 20 minutes. This information was emailed to the employees by Satya Nadella, senior vice president and head of engineering for Microsoft's Online Services Division.

Last July, Microsoft acquired the San Francisco-based Powerset estimated at $100 million. Powerset develops semantic search technology that determines the intent behind the search terms. The bid seem a alternative approach after Microsoft failed to acquire Yahoo. This event clearly indicated Microsoft's intent to differentiate itself from Google  by acquiring a nascent search technology.

Microsoft efforts to build its search market might take a long time to bear fruit, with Google dominating the market. Details of search market share is clearly indicated in comScore's research report.

With Kumo search technology Microsoft expects to recover from its recent market downslide. Having said that, its needs to be considered that for the first time since it became a public traded company, Microsoft experienced its first year-on-year decline in quarterly revenue. It's over-anticipative to predict that Microsoft would be interested for further investment to turn the tides.