Bing 411 is just one of the pieces of the search engine puzzle that Microsoft is setting into place after it has scrapped Live Search altogether. After the start of June 2009 was synonymous with Bing going live worldwide, replacing all Live Search verticals one by one, the software giant also unveiled the successor of Live Search 411. Just as its precursor, Bing 411 is designed to let users access the search engine via the phone using voice commands. For this, Microsoft is taking advantage of voice recognition technology acquired from Tellme.

At the start of this month “we launched Bing, the new decision engine designed to help you make more informed decisions. [We are now] excited to share that Bing 411 (1-800-BING-411 or 1-800-246-4411), with voice search powered by Tellme, has also arrived! More than simple local business search, Bing 411 makes it easier to get on-the-go information: driving directions, traffic reports, sports scores, stock quotes, weather reports, and even information the cheapest place near you to buy gas,” revealed Yvonne Chou, senior program lead, Bing 411.

The Bing 411 service is available for free in the US, and is designed to replace Live Search 411. Previously, users had to call 1-800-CALL-411 (1-800-2255-411) in order to access the service when it was under the Live Search brand umbrella. In fact, the Live Search 411 webpage continues to be live even at this point in time, despite the fact that other Live Search properties have long been rebranded to Bing.

“Bing 411 now takes local business search a step further, helping you to complete tasks from your phone. Call Bing 411 to find a business, then connect to it or get an SMS with a link to a map (which you can also send to a friend). Bing 411 even includes star ratings of businesses based on reviews by other consumers. You can get traffic-influenced driving directions, and for movie theaters, you can get show times and even buy tickets,” Chou added.