Microsoft to launch new search engine

Microsoft will next week launch a new search engine to take on Google.

Codenamed Kumo, the new search engine will be launched to rebrand and replace Microsoft’s current search engine, Live Search, available at live.com, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

At the moment, Kumo is only available on Microsoft’s internal search network, with the decision to rebrand Live Search not yet finalised.

The news that Microsoft is attempting to challenge Google’s dominance follows the release of “semantic” search service Wolfram Alpha (see Semantic “search engine” launches today).

The service, developed by UK physicist Stephen Wolfram, responds to queries by searching through a database and providing a direct answer, including graphs and charts if relevant, rather than providing a list of links.