14 DAY TRIAL // The latest two feature updates introduced to Microsoft’s search / decision engine make it easier for users to get information on their favorite TV shows or buy tickets to attend the games played by their preferred football team. Microsoft has yet again kicked up a notch the Bing Entertainment vertical by offering TV watchers in the United States a simpler way to access information on television shows running on their local networks.
Essentially, Bing now enables US users to do a quick search via Bing and get a comprehensive selection of information on a specific TV show without ever having to leave the decision engine, and certainly without being reduced to scrolling through pages of cable listings.
“If you are one of those people who watch TV on an actual TV, we’re pulling in guide information to help you easily find what’s on in your area from your service provider, so you can make sure you are on the couch or setting your DVR to catch your favorite shows,” revealed Sally Liu, Program Manager.
Liu notes that Microsoft has so far managed to centralize in excess of 2000 TV listings customized to a variety of local providers. The software giant even put together a video designed to offer an idea of what the new feature update is all about.
The second refresh to Bing involves a partnership that the Redmond company announced at the end of 2010, with FanSnap.
Bing makes it easier to search for, compare and buy tickets to various sporting events. As is the case for the TV listings and additional Bing enhancements, this new feature is also available exclusively in the United States.
Bing allows sport fans to compare ticket prices from over 50 sites as well as easily make purchases.
“To help you make better ticket buying decisions we are incorporating FanSnap’s venue maps and comprehensive event catalogue into the Bing experience. With football play-offs in full swing, now you can quickly find ticket results for more than 15 million tickets,” revealed a member of the Bing team.
“You can see ticket selection and price ranges at a glance, and zoom into a row- level view to check out offers from multiple providers.
“The “Best Value" feature, quickly highlights tickets that are priced significantly lower than surrounding seats. If you want to confirm you’re getting a good ticket, use the "view-from-seat" feature to see the vantage.”