Part 4: Search Engine History from 2008-2011

Google’s influence on shaping the modern world cannot be overstated. The company has revolutionized the way we access information, connect with others, and conduct business. From its humble beginnings as a search engine, Google has grown into a behemoth of technology, influencing nearly every aspect of our lives. With its innovative products and services, the company has redefined our relationship with technology and the internet, making it an indispensable tool for communication, knowledge, and entertainment. Whether you’re an individual, a business, or an entire society, Google has left an indelible mark on the modern world, and its impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.

On September 2nd, 2008, Google launched the Chrome browser, which was created by a team of former Mozilla Firefox developers. The browser was initially released as a beta version for Windows and soon became available for other operating systems. It featured sandboxed tabs, offering faster and more stable browsing experience. Google also released a 40-page comic book to explain the functioning of the browser. Within four years of its launch, Chrome surpassed both Firefox and Internet Explorer in terms of popularity, and ten years later, Chrome emerged as the dominant web browser globally, with a 60% worldwide usage share.

On September 23rd, 2008, Android made its debut on the T-Mobile G1/HTC Dream, the first Android phone. Google had acquired Android for $50 million in 2005, and the T-Mobile G1/HTC Dream launch marked the beginning of Android’s journey to becoming the most popular mobile OS globally. The phone was priced at $179 and offered features such as open software, deep integration with Google services, and advanced notification features.

On January 5th, 2010, Google launched the Nexus One, which was built by HTC but designed by Google to showcase the potential of an Android device. In the early days of Android, other device manufacturers often buried Google’s design under their own custom skins and used lackluster hardware, but the Nexus One aimed to change that. The Nexus design inspired the current Pixel phones, where Google has taken a more active role in mobile hardware.

On March 22nd, 2010, Google pulled out of China after ending censorship following a phishing attack aimed at extracting the email addresses and personal information of Chinese human rights activists. Google’s search engine in China was redirected to an uncensored search engine based in Hong Kong. However, Beijing banned Google soon after.

On August 13th, 2010, Oracle filed a lawsuit against Google over Android’s use of Java APIs. The lawsuit, which is still ongoing, revolves around whether Google violated Oracle’s IP by reproducing the APIs inside Android. The lawsuit has implications for software developers and has already been reversed twice, with Oracle currently being the victor while Google appeals to the Supreme Court.

In 2010, Google started working on self-driving cars, fitting seven Toyota Priuses with sensors and AI, which eventually became Waymo. On June 15th, 2011, Google launched Chrome OS, an open-source operating system designed for hosting web apps and running on netbooks (now known as Chromebooks). Acer and Samsung released the first Chromebooks in retail stores in June 2011, and the devices have since become popular in education, leading Microsoft to follow suit with Windows S Mode laptops.

On June 28th, 2011, Google launched Google+ as a social network to compete with Facebook. However, despite being invitation-only and offering features such as sharing photos, links, and starting Hangout chats with friends, Google+ never gained the popularity it aimed for and most user profiles remain empty.

On August 15th, 2011, Google announced its acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, marking the company’s entry into the hardware space. The acquisition aimed to bring together Google’s software expertise and Motorola’s hardware experience to produce innovative products.

Despite its early entry into the market, MSN Search struggled to compete with Google and other established search engines. To regain market share, Microsoft rebranded MSN Search as Bing in June 2009.

Bing was initially launched as a decision engine, designed to help users make more informed decisions by presenting search results in a visually appealing way. This was achieved by large images and other multimedia content, as well as an emphasis on local search results.
In July of 2009, Yahoo announced a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The partnership was designed to provide a more powerful search engine for users and compete more effectively against Google. As part of the partnership, Yahoo would use Bing’s search algorithms and provide its own index of web pages to Bing. The two companies also agreed to share advertising revenue from search results.

One of Bing’s major features was its integration with Microsoft’s popular web services, such as Windows Live and Xbox Live. This integration allowed users to search for information from a variety of sources, including the web, maps, news, and shopping.

In its first year of operation, Bing was able to capture 2.7% of the US search market share. This may not seem like a lot, but it was a significant increase from the 1.5% market share held by MSN Search. By the end of 2010, Bing’s market share had risen to nearly 13%. Bing also made significant improvements to its search algorithms and results over the years. In 2010, it launched Bing Maps, which provided users with detailed aerial and street-level imagery of locations around the world. In addition, Bing’s partnership with Facebook allowed it to display social results alongside traditional web search results.

Yahoo Search was once one of the most popular search engines in the world, and its history from 2008 to 2011 was marked by both innovation and decline. Here’s a look at the key events and milestones in the history of Yahoo Search during that period.

In 2008, Yahoo introduced a new search algorithm designed to provide more relevant results to users. The new algorithm, called Panama, was designed to better understand the intent behind users’ searches and deliver more accurate results. Panama was also designed to incorporate more local search results and personalized results based on a user’s search history.

In July of 2009, Yahoo announced a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The partnership was designed to provide a more powerful search engine for users and compete more effectively against Google. As part of the partnership, Yahoo would use Bing’s search algorithms and provide its own index of web pages to Bing. The two companies also agreed to share advertising revenue from search results.

Despite the partnership with Bing, Yahoo Search continued to experience a decline in market share throughout 2010. According to comScore, Yahoo’s share of the search market dropped from 20.1% in January of 2010 to 17.2% in December of the same year. This decline was largely due to the increasing popularity of Google, which had a 65.5% share of the search market at the end of 2010.

To regain some of its lost market share, Yahoo introduced several new search features in 2011. The company introduced a new search interface that emphasized visual results, such as images and videos, and made it easier for users to filter results based on their interests. Yahoo also introduced a new feature called “Stream Search” that provided real-time search results from social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

In conclusion, the period from 2008 to 2011 was a challenging one for Yahoo Search. Despite the introduction of new algorithms and features, the company struggled to compete against Google and experienced a decline in market share. However, the partnership with Microsoft Bing and the introduction of new search features showed that Yahoo was committed to staying relevant and competitive in the search engine market.

Despite its growth and success, Bing continued to face stiff competition from Google, which dominated the search market with over 65% of all search queries. Nevertheless, Bing remained a popular choice for many users and continues to be one of the top search engines in the world.

In conclusion, the history of MSN Search and Bing from 2008 to 2011 was marked by significant changes and growth. Bing’s rebranding as a decision engine and its integration with Microsoft’s popular web services helped it to capture a significant share of the US search market. Despite facing fierce competition from Google, Bing remained a popular choice for many users and continues to be one of the top search engines in the world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Google’s impact on shaping the modern world is immeasurable. From the launch of Chrome browser, Android, Nexus One, and Waymo, to its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, Google redefined the way we interact with technology and the internet. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Bing, despite its late entry into the market, made significant improvements and gains in its search algorithms and market share through its partnership with Yahoo. Yahoo, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with the competition. These events in the world of technology are a testament to the constant evolution and innovation in the industry.

There’s exciting news out of Yahoo

Yahoo on Twitter hinted that they’re getting back into search.