Microsoft's new search engine will be called BING and it is launching over the course of the next week.

Good luck to them! :taz:

Microsoft Aims Search Guns at Google With Bing - Advertising Age - Digital (http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136847)

Eric

Oh - and Virtual Earth is now called Bing. or Bing Maps for the Enterprise. doh!

Eric

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Microsoft Bing: Much better than expected
CNET News May 28, 2009
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Microsoft's renamed Bing search engine uses technology from Powerset to display "related searches" and groups search results into categories such as product reviews, movie listings, weather, travel, and stock prices, among other new...

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=10658&m=23456

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Microsoft Renames Virtual Earth to... Bing Maps!
| from the it's-not-even-April-fool dept.
| posted by Satri on Thursday May 28, @13:54 (Microsoft)
| Slashgeo | Microsoft Renames Virtual Earth to... Bing Maps! (http://industry.slashgeo.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/28/1754202)
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

Microsoft announced today that [0]Live Search Maps and Virtual Earth have
been renamed to 'Bing maps for Enterprise' and 'Bing maps' respectively.
This is a major branding change. Bing, without the 'maps' attached, is
Microsoft's new 'decision engine', see this [1]Slashdot discussion and
the [2]Wired article (via [3]APB). Initial reactions indicate [4]not
everyone thinks it's a good name change. From the VE4Gov blog: "If you
are using our Virtual Earth mapping APIs, you will see the Bing watermark
on content starting on June 1. This is a logo change only. This update
will not introduce change in performance or functionality of your
application. The contract for your mapping service does not change in
terms or duration. There is no action that you need to take. The API
calls will not change. They will still refer to Virtual Earth and
MapPoint web services to help make sure that your implementation does not
break and you do not need to make changes. The API Terms of Use will be
updated to replace Virtual Earth with Bing maps for Enterprise, but there
is no other change to the terms." Related, there's an entry on the
Virtual Earth blog (to be renamed?) named "[5]Microsoft Touch Pack for
Windows 7 Features Virtual Earth"

Discuss this story at:
Microsoft Renames Virtual Earth to... Bing Maps! (http://industry.slashgeo.org/comments.pl?sid=09/05/28/1754202)

Links:
0. Microsoft Virtual Earth Now “Bing maps for Enterprise” - Windows Live (http://virtualearth4gov.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!369B39F890CE30C1!3462.entry)
1. Slashdot | Microsoft Rebrands Live Search As "Bing" (http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/28/1650226)
2. Hands On With Microsoft’s New Search Engine: Bing, But No Boom | Epicenter | Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/05/microsofts-bing-hides-its-best-features/)
3. Yet another new name for Live Maps (whatever) - All Points Blog (http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/5843-Yet-another-new-name-for-Live-Maps-whatever.html)
4. Paul Ramsey: Bing Maps for the Enterprise (http://blog.cleverelephant.ca/2009/05/bing-maps-for-enterprise.html)
5. Virtual Earth, An Evangelist's Blog : Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 Features Virtual Earth (http://blogs.msdn.com/virtualearth/archive/2009/05/27/microsoft-touch-pack-for-windows-7-features-virtual-earth.aspx)

Microsoft today announced the launch of an exciting new search product called Bing™. The new site will begin rolling out on June 1st and will be available to the world on June 3rd at Bing (http://www.Bing.com). Location information, mapping, and imagery are important investment areas for online search. Therefore, we have taken this opportunity to align the brand names of our mapping products offered to consumers and businesses with Bing.

On June 1, our mapping platform brand will change from Microsoft Virtual Earth to Bing maps for enterprise. Bing maps for enterprise is the mapping platform that underpins the Bing maps service (Bing.com/maps) and serves you and the thousands of organizations that use Microsoft mapping technology on their Web sites and in their applications. For more than 10 years, we have been providing mapping services to enterprises and organizations, and we continue to be committed to supporting you in achieving your goals.

What this means to you:
If you’re using the Virtual Earth, MapPoint™ Web Service, or Multimap APIs, the logo on your maps will change to Bing automatically on June 1. This is a logo change and does not affect performance or functionality.
You will see updates to our Web sites and case studies over the coming weeks, where Bing maps for enterprise will replace references to Virtual Earth.
If you have implemented the Virtual Earth logo in your application, please see the FAQs for more information about next steps.
We have prepared some additional FAQs at the end of this message to answer any questions you might have. If you don’t find the answer you need, please don’t hesitate to contact your Bing maps solution specialist or maplic@microsoft.com.

Thank you,
The Virtual Earth Platform Team
Microsoft Corporation

FAQ

Q. How will this affect my organization’s solution?
A. If you are using our mapping APIs, you will see the Bing watermark on content starting on June 1. This is a logo change only. This update will not introduce changes in performance or functionality of your application. The contract for your mapping service does not change in terms or duration. There is no action that you need to take.

Q. Do the API calls change?
A. No, the API calls will not change. They will still refer to Virtual Earth and MapPoint to help make sure that your implementation does not break and you do not need to make changes.

Q. Will the API Terms of Use change?
A. The API Terms of Use will be updated to replace the Microsoft Virtual Earth name with Bing maps for enterprise, but there is no other change to the terms.

Q. What if I have implemented the logo myself?
A. If you are not implementing the logo through the Virtual Earth, MapPoint Web Service, or Multimap APIs, please update your application to use the new Bing logo by September 1, 2009, at the latest. Logos may be obtained from your Microsoft contact (see below) for use with the mapping content in your application.

Q. My organization is featured in a Virtual Earth case study or press release. Will you be updating it with the new brand?
A. All new case studies and press releases after May 28, 2009, should feature the new brand. We will be updating some case studies to reflect the new brand and will contact you if necessary. We will not be updating press releases that predate the change.

Q. What if I refer to the Microsoft Virtual Earth brand on my Web site?
A. If you refer to Microsoft Virtual Earth on your Web site, we would like you to change your implementation to use the new name as soon as possible. If you would like to use the Bing logo or brand treatments on your Web site, please contact your Microsoft contact (see below) for approval and permission.

Q. Whom should I contact for answers to questions?
A. Contact your Bing maps for enterprise solution specialist or maplic@microsoft.com if you have further questions.

Bing.com is Live!

and Live.com is now Bing!

The new service has options specifically to search for fruit ("Bing Cherry") and white Christmases for all locations and eras ("Bing Crosby"). Honest.

Although the Bing brand includes some positive aspects, Microsoft are making a big mistake replacing "Virtual Earth" with "Bing Maps".


Richard

From Eileen Chang at Waggener Edstrom --

Today is the first day that Bing Maps is fully available as part of Bing.com. Qi Lu, president, Online Services Division is also highlighting the general availability of Bing during his Q&A session with Danny Sullivan at SMX Advanced this morning. The release of Bing was also celebrated last night in Seattle, with a Searchlight event for Microsoft employees and interested community members. Video from the event, as well as soundbites from CEO, Steve Ballmer are available here for your reference.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/bing/default.mspx

As you are probably aware the brand change impacted the Virtual Earth platform and Live Search Maps, with Live Search Maps becoming Bing Maps and the Virtual Earth platform becoming Bing Maps for Enterprise. For more information, I encourage you to join the Bing community located at, Bing Community (http://www.bing.com/community). The new community site also includes a new Bing Maps blog, located here. You can also follow Bing on Twitter, via @bing.
Bing Community (http://www.bing.com/community/blogs/maps/default.aspx)

Microsoft's billion dollar effort in search market budges the needle! :clap:

Bing Continues to Gain Ground - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124525178892723513.html) :clap: