Microsoft Bows to Google’s Demands

Published by Omkar Joshi | Filed under Microsoft, Windows, Vista, Google

Microsoft has decided to change the search function present in Windows Vista in response to complaints received from Google and regulators that Vista’s search feature slows down other search offerings such as Google’s Desktop Search.

The changes which will be included in the much awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 were announced by Microsoft yesterday with documents detailing the modifications to be made.

As a result of Microsoft’s continuing anti-trust proceedings with US regulators Microsoft agreed to make the changes which were detailed in a status report filed in the case in June. In order to provide the general public with further information, documents were posted online yesterday that detailed how third parties can modify current desktop search applications to work with the proposed changes in SP1. The highly anticipated SP1 is currently slated for release in the first quarter of 2008.

According to Microsoft, it has made modifications to Vista’s built-in search feature in order to enable consumers who use third-party desktop search offerings to have “easy and direct access” to those offerings through the Vista user interface.