Microsoft 'bribes' Web users

With a determination to bring users back to Live Search, Microsoft has launched a program that rewards users using their search engine.

This program, called Search Perks, initially aimed to entice Internet users in the US to abandon the habit of using Google to return to their Live Search engine. Accordingly, every time a user uses a Microsoft search engine, a software called Volish will automatically remember and score. The maximum number of points a user can receive during the day is 25 points and the points will be accumulated gradually to convert into prizes.

Award table and corresponding score Temporarily Microsoft only released a number of awards such as downloading 5 free tracks, air tickets (only applicable to domestic flights of American Airlines, Delta and US firms). Airways, Zune music players, discount coupons for buying Vista Home Edition, Microsoft T-shirts, Xbox gaming consoles, etc. depend on the number of points that users accumulate.

Of course, Microsoft also set conditions. First, users must register to participate in the program, download and install Volish software and especially use IE 6.0 and above with the Windows operating system. If using other browsers such as FireFox, Safari or especially Chrome, do not expect to receive the prize.

The deadline to register for this program is until December 31, 2008 and the time to redeem the prize points is April 15, 2009. Microsoft hopes that by that time they can attract about 250,000 new users. If this goal is not met, Search Perks program will be canceled.

In fact, this is not a new " tactic " for Microsoft because it used to offer a policy to pay businesses if it convinced employees to leave Google to use their search engine. This policy has failed quite a pitiful way, but most notably their market share compared to Google has continuously declined in recent months. For example, according to comScore tracking and survey data (released in mid-September) Google's market share in July was 61.9%, in August it was 63%, while Microsoft's market share fell from 8. , 9% (July) to only 8.3% (August). Accompanied by Microsoft is Yahoo when the market share of search company No. 2 decreased from 20.5% to 19.6% in August 2008.

' Our long-term goal is to change the inherent habits of users, ' said Whitney Burk, a Microsoft spokeswoman.