Microsoft Corp. and Research In Motion announced they are working together to integrate rich Live Search
capabilities into the BlackBerry Browser and BlackBerry Maps.
BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to use Microsoft Live
Search as their search engine of choice within the BlackBerry Browser
as well as access Live Search on Mobile.BlackBerry.com. Live Search
will leverage the wireless data optimization capabilities of the
BlackBerry solution to deliver results quickly while users are on the
go. BlackBerry smartphone customers will also be able to use Live
Search to perform contextual, location-sensitive searches or look for
nearby points of interest from inside BlackBerry Maps
"As the BlackBerry platform continues to evolve and broaden its
appeal to mobile users, RIM looks to answer our customers' needs with a
broad range of high-value solutions optimized for use with BlackBerry
smartphones," said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at
Research In Motion. "Offering Live Search on BlackBerry smartphones
extends choice for our customers and allows users to conveniently and
quickly search the Internet when they are mobile."
"This joint endeavor with RIM is a strategic indicator of our
increased focus on securing broad-scale distribution for Live Search,"
said Brian Arbogast, corporate vice president of the Mobile Services
organization at Microsoft, "Microsoft is committed to extending our
services across mobile platforms and we are very pleased to be joining
forces with RIM to help bring Live Search to millions of BlackBerry
users worldwide."
Live Search on BlackBerry smartphones will allow BlackBerry smartphone users to search the Web's information--whether they're looking for the latest weather forecasts, images, stock quotes, restaurants, news headlines, or websites.
Today's announcement follows an agreement earlier this year to
provide Microsoft Windows Live services on BlackBerry smartphones. As a
result of this collaboration, BlackBerry smartphone customers now enjoy
easy mobile access to Windows Live Messenger and an enhanced level of
integration between Windows Live Hotmail and the BlackBerry platform.
Live Search for BlackBerry Smartphones is expected to be available later this year with support for multiple languages.