Microsoft announces new MSN search service

In 2005, Microsoft officially launched its new MSN Search service, marking the global rollout of the company’s first search engine built using its own web crawler and ranking algorithms. The release replaced third-party search technology previously provided by Yahoo’s Inktomi and represented Microsoft’s move to compete directly with Google and Yahoo in web search. The service launched across 25 markets and 10 languages as part of a global rollout. Microsoft rebuilt MSN Search with a new index that covered more than one billion web documents. The search engine introduced features such as “Instant Answers,” which used data from Microsoft Encarta to display definitions, calculations, and factual responses directly on the results page. Another feature, described as “graphic equalizers,” allowed users to adjust search results based on factors such as popularity or how recently content had been updated. The February 2005 launch marked Microsoft’s transition to operating its own search infrastructure, including crawling, indexing, and ranking systems. The new MSN Search platform formed the foundation for later Microsoft search products, including Windows Live Search and eventually Bing.