Defined by Microsoft as an experiment in search and social networking, U Rank is nothing more than a prototype for a search engine  designed to deliver perfect results to user queries. This is possible through the search results customization options available to users in U Rank. Released as a developing project from Microsoft Research, U Rank is currently available exclusively to users in the U.S. with the Redmond giant promising that it will open up the prototype to additional markets, but without offering any sort of deadline in this respect.

“U Rank is a search engine that allows people to organize, edit and annotate search results, as well as share information with others. We believe that finding something on the web is only the first step for many tasks. To better support people as they are exploring a topic, comparing information, keeping track of what they're learning, and collaborating with others, U Rank has general support for organizing, annotating, remembering, and sharing search results,” Microsoft revealed (via LiveSide).

The Redmond company is continuing to see its grasp of the search engine market slip and Google swallowing up all the loose crumbs. Microsoft introduced a range of initiatives designed to help it boost its search audience, but to no avail. The most recent offerings involve a loyalty-based program designed to award users of Live Search with prizes for using the search engine. In this context, U Rank is yet another attempt to perfect the search recipe capable of taking Google down, although it is very likely that the prototype will never become a standalone service, but that it would instead be included into Live Search.

“Here are some of the things that we've found U Rank useful for: create the perfect search results (add images and video for added context); lists: keep lists while you’re researching ('hotels for my next trip', 'DSLRs for me'); annotate results: write notes to summarize important information under each URL; short-cuts: move your favorite sites up; then put an ! in front of the query and go straight to the top result; collaboration: share URLs with friends ('related projects', 'our reading list'); recommendations: tell your friends what you like ('best books', 'favorite restaurants'),” Microsoft added.