Microsoft promises 'open' Bing strategy

Microsoft is committed to an open online strategy to include partners and developers and build market share, while unveiling updates to Bing with a decidedly Microsoft flavor. Satya Nadella, senior vice president of Microsoft's online services division, said Wednesday that the company's goal is for a "third-party scale model …

[NeoLurker]

"Microsoft only technology"

I did the same search in the Bing Maps Silverlight-using beta and Google Maps and what do I find? Google Maps using Flash for their street view. Last time I checked, Flash was an Adobe technology.

Given the Big G's support for all things HTML and AJAX, and hate for all things Flash and Silverlight, this use of Flash frankly surprised me (we'll leave YouTube out of it for now shall we...?) So why the "Microsoft-only technology" Silverlight hating in this piece Gavin?

What does "Microsoft-only technology" even mean? Sure, Silverlight is a Microsoft technology - it is .NET in a web browser - and the point is what? You're tied to IE? False. You're tied to Windows? False. You're tied to Visual Studio and Expression? False. The other "Microsoft specific technologies" mentioned are LINQ and WPF. Yes, LINQ is a Microsoft technology. It's a set of extensions to .NET, so that sort of makes sense. You lost me with WPF though, Gavin. Not sure where that fits with the rest of the discussion.

[Bilgepipe]

@Neolurker

"You're tied to Windows? False."

Microsoft are already implementing Windows specific areas in Silverlight. In three or four years Silverlight will be Windows-only, you'd have to be naive not to see that. Microsoft don't do cross-platform.

[GreyCells]

Yawn...

Microsoft is a typical playground bully: If it’s not my toy, I’m not going to play with it (unless the teachers make me). And I’ll beat up anyone who doesn’t play MY game.

Most children eventually learn this is not the way to behave in a civilized society. Sadly, it appears the ‘grown-ups’ in charge at Microsoft never learned social skills at school.

[bobdevis]

Lots and lots of cash

MS is spending hundreds of millions here just to invade Googles cash cow territory.

The cashback, the commercials and more and now these cute toys. It doesn't seem to get them anywhere though. Bing seems to already have peaked; http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=5

Ms is just not inventive enough to take on Google.

[Number6]

Cross-Platform

If Microsoft really wants to do 'open' then they need to provide fully-supported versions of Silverlight for Mac and Linux at the the very least. At the moment if I reach a site which requires Silverlight then I move on to another site and someone's lost my business.

[Anonymous Coward]

That's got to hurt

A sub 1% loss of potential trade.

Given an approximate conversion factor of 10% or less, that's a loss of 0.1% of a potential customer base who expect everything for free.

Yeah, it makes sense to waste revenue catering to that lot....

[Anonymous Coward]

Prezackerly..

Hell, I do that on my Windows 7 box, not just my macs and linux boxes- no silverlight on any of them thankyewverymuch.

Right now, it's just dubious MS clutter, nothing unmissable can't work without it, and missable stuff mandating it just gets ignored as a waste of effort. I am guessing that in the end, you'll be foreced to use it for Windows Update or somesuch shi'ite (for no good reason), and I will end up installing it, but I don't see it getting big through volunary adoption.

There's a laudable appetite for less clutter on computers of late. Bring it on!

[Anonymous Coward]

Understandable but?

A proprietary browser favouring proprietary methods, means and features is a neat business model but I hope MS also gives some thought, space and consideration to other operating systems and devices (mobile or fixed).

It would seem a shame if such technologies were limited to Internet Explorer and Windows based mobile/cell phones.

With at least a few people going with other OSs well ... - you know what I mean?

[Pascal Monett]

The Microsoft Spirit vs Microsoft PR

We all know exactly what the Microsoft Spirit is made of : Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.

Nice fluffy words of intention with corresponding PR bunnies in reasonable attire will not change that.

Silverlight is nothing but Microsofts' attempt to borgify yet another area in which they started too late. Any pretense of "openness" is nothing but lip-service to the idea, paid in order to keep the gullible in line.

[Anonymous Coward]

"The Catch"

1) It's Bing

2) They'll probably try to slip Silverlight in your drink at some point

3) "Bing". It's the sort of noise that Steve "childcatcher" Ballmer imagines sounds fun and quirky.

4) Seriously, it's Bing.

[OffBeatMammal]

wow Gavin...

nice to see balanced reporting to the fore.

Bing is opening up their platform to 3rd parties but in return needs them to conform (if they want to play) to some base level requirements that happen to include a MS technology. How is that different from Google insisting that if you want to create information cards on their search engine you have to... oh, wait. the apparently open company that does no evil doesn't all that.

Google also use Flash and other technologies when it suits them but certain El Reg reports still seem to have a love affair with them so that's okay

this is a news site, not a blog. Report without opinion or clearly label the personal agenda articles

[Anonymous Coward]

Extend then Extinguish

Silverlight may have been intended to kill Flash, but MS can make it to end up working on IE only and wipe FF and Opera off the map as far as your average user is concerned.

[Anonymous Coward]

Even Microsoft acknowledged that Silverfail sucks

Proof

-------

1) go to bing.com

2) try to go to the previous image

3) it works! Without silverlight! The last time I went there (ok, a pretty long time ago), it wanted silverlight (yay! Microsoft programmers discovered JavaScript, I guess).

[Anonymous Coward]

Garbage

"We do want to be able to get to an open strategy that allows us to tap into the ecosystem and give the ecosystem and economic return added value for doing so," he said.

That doesn't mean anything and suggests they don't know what they are doing and are trying to cover it up in marketroid speak.