Microsoft confirms Powerset search deal

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Microsoft confirms Powerset search deal

Cross-posted from Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog:

Microsoft confirmed today that it has reached a deal to buy Powerset, a San Francisco-based search-technology company. The companies aren't disclosing financial terms. VentureBeat reported that the purchase price would be more than $100 million when it broke the news last week.

Powerset's technology attempts to figure out the meaning and intent behind phrases typed into search engines, seeking to improve search results. Powerset has 63 employees, and Microsoft says the Powerset team will remain in San Francisco, joining Microsoft's search team.

Microsoft has long been looking for ways to improve the position of its Live Search engine, which is in third place behind Yahoo and Google. Its failed Yahoo acquisition bid put an even bigger spotlight on its predicament.

See related posts on the Powerset and Live Search blogs.

Posted by at July 1, 2008 1:06 p.m.
Categories: Internet search, Microsoft

Comments

#145919

Posted by unregistered user at 7/1/08 3:58 p.m.

Tremendous...the Google domination era will end soon

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#145920

Posted by ezeques at 7/1/08 4:03 p.m.

"Tremendous...the Google domination era will end soon"

Right.

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#146146

Posted by unregistered user at 7/2/08 12:26 p.m.

Powerset's technology is not good. They are really lucky IMHO that MS was stupid enough to buy them for $100M before their house of cards completely came tumbling down.

The technologies of Evri, Hakia, Kosmix, and Silobreaker seem much stronger to me in the semantic web space.

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#146495

Posted by unregistered user at 7/3/08 8:23 a.m.

Has anybody else checked out the caliber of talent Powerset employs? They alone are worth 100m (MSFT Chump Change).