Microsoft is currently the number three search provider worldwide. Its Windows Live Search and MSN Search engines combined account for the third place on the search market, but Microsoft is lagging far behind Google and Yahoo in this aspect. And as Google has become more and more synonymous with Internet search, with a share of almost 50%, Microsoft has been continually losing its grip on the search market.

In this context, the introduction of Windows Live Search in parallel with MSN search did nothing to gear Microsoft away from the downslope of search. In over a year now, Microsoft has seen its search share gradually eroding. However, according to new statistics provided via a Bear Stearns analyst's report, the Redmond Company may be out of the search black hole.

The data in the Bear Stearns analyst's report contradicts Microsoft descendant trajectory on the search market described so far by HitWise, Nielsen/NetRatings, and comScore Networks. In fact, the Bear Stearns report not only credits Microsoft search for not dropping further, but also reveals that the Redmond Company has managed to attract a larger audience.

Microsoft search has in fact increased its market share to 10.6 % in January, up from 10.5%. Not a very consistent growth, but a positive result for Microsoft's search nonetheless. But Microsoft is nowhere near Yahoo, that with a 28.1 percentage is occupying the second position behind Google.

The Mountain View search giant accounts for the lion's share of the search market with no less than 47.5 % in January. "Google grew search queries by 44 percent year over year in January 07, significantly ahead of the industry growth at 26 percent, but marking a significant deceleration from 50 percent in December 06. We note that this is the first time that Google's year over year search growth rate dropped below 50 percent since April 06," stated Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck.