14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is currently pretty much the only company that has a word to say in the search engine business beside Google, as the software giant invested billions of dollars to make Bing a worthy competitor for Google Search.
And these efforts are already paying off, as Bing has reached a 20 percent market share in the United States, finally becoming a more popular alternative to Google Search.
But Microsoft is aiming for more, so the company launched a Bing Insider Program to get feedback from users on new Bing features and thus improve the search engine together.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft comes down to an insider program for its products and the pioneer here was Windows 10, whose insider effort was launched in October 2014. The purpose of these programs is to help Microsoft get feedback and suggestions on features and ideas to improve services and products in its portfolio while also providing participating users with access to early features that aren’t available to retail customers.
Bing as a search platform
In the case of Bing, however, the insider program offers only limited seats and not everyone can join. Microsoft has a survey page for interested users, but in the end the company itself will pick those who can participate in this new insider effort.
“Thank you for your interest in the Bing Insiders Program! Bing Insiders are a passionate community of Bing users who want to be in the know, who will get early access to the newest features, and whose feedback can help us make Bing awesome. Interested in joining? Just complete this short (3 question) survey. We'll contact you if you qualify,” the survey page reads.
Bing is no longer just a search engine, but a stand-alone search platform, and it’s being used as the underlying service for a wide array of products, including Windows 10 and Cortana. Microsoft is looking to push Bing beyond these boundaries and it hopes to achieve that with help from insiders across the world.