With all organic attempts to grow its share on the search engine market turned to dust and with a Yahoo marriage failed miserably, Microsoft is turning to desperate measures, suited for the desperate times it has to endure in the Google monopoly. The Redmond company announced that it has inked the biggest Live Search distribution deal in history with Hewlett-Packard. As a direct result, all the 2009 HP Consumer PCs which will be shipped in the United States and Canada will feature a Silverlight-based Live Search Toolbar as well as Live Search set as the default search engine for all the machines.

"This agreement with HP is a strategic indicator of our increased focus on securing broad-scale distribution for Live Search", commented Kevin Johnson, president of the Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft. The Redmond company is already attempting to bribe end users in searching for products via Live Search, promising to pay back a percentage of the price of the items bought through the Cashback program. Now, Microsoft has taken it one step further and, together with HP, will shove Live Search down the throats of HP customers.

"This is the most significant distribution deal for Live Search that Microsoft has ever done, and we are very pleased to be partnering with HP to help bring Live Search to millions of consumers across North America", Johnson said. Microsoft informed that the new search bar will be based on its Adobe Flash killer, Silverlight. In May 2008, the Redmond company launched a MSN Toolbar also powered by Silverlight.

"This agreement provides HP customers with an outstanding search product in Live Search, as well as a user-friendly, fully customizable way to access their favorite online services", added Ulf Claesson, vice president of Worldwide Attach at HP.

The partnership signed with HP could not have benefited Microsoft more, as the Redmond giant now has the chance to both see its Live Search share rise, as well as push Silverlight hard on new PC buyers turning to HP. "Microsoft shares HP's passion for delivering world-class technology to consumers in meaningful ways, and today's announcement will help to provide an even more personal computing experience for HP customers", Claesson stated.