Microsoft to Shut Down Bing 411 on June 1st

Microsoft’s Bing 411 service is set to be shut down on June 1st, 2012, three years after being officially launched in 2009 (it was known as Live Search 411 before that).

Microsoft hasn’t made an official announcement on the matter, but users accessing the service are greeted with a message informing them that it will be discontinued, LiveSide.net reports.

Bing 411 was launched as an audio service destined to provide users with directions, traffic conditions, and weather reports on their phones. Built using the Tellme technologies, the service was designed to be fully automated. 

It is accessible via 1-800-Bing-411 (1-800-246-4411) and is being offered to all users, regardless of their device, for free. The service was made available only for users in the United States.

Users could receive traffic reports specific to their routes, receive turn-by-turn driving directions, find movie showtimes, listen to weather and forecasts, search for shops and restaurants, receive text message links to maps, and more.

“Bing 411 now takes local business search a step further, helping you to complete tasks from your phone,” Microsoft described the service in a blog post announcing its launch.

“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),” the company continued.

“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.”

As stated above, the service was made available for free for all users, though standard charges did apply to calls and text messages.

Based on the impressive surge of smartphones and associated services, it does not come too much as a surprise that this phone service is being shut down.

Users can now benefit from all the features that Bing 411 had to offer on their mobile phones at ease, regardless of the type of handset they own: Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone and others.