Microsoft Live Search Bribes

It's official, even Microsoft thinks Live Search sucks:

Unfortunately for some, Microsoft’s decision to pay companies money to switch their default search engine from Google, Yahoo or something is only companies can take advantage of, and not (as yet?) for individual users who would consider being paid to search with Windows Live Search.

But if you’re a company with thousands of PCs installed, all using Windows, Microsoft’s new program is official, and there’s a golden opportunity to convert the searches your employees do on a daily basis into tens of thousands of dollars, or even more.

Microsoft’s new program is called “Microsoft Service Credits for Web Search” and has been unveiled by John Batelle’s ‘SearchBlog’. The money on offer is significant, especially when multiplied across thousands of PCs. The deal means that companies can earn between US $2 and US $10 per computer on an annual basis, plus a US $25,000 “enrollment credit” which is a nice big wad of cash that will likely need a large-ish, strong and sturdy brown paper bag to hold securely while being passed under the table.  

For companies that have thousands of computers, this could translate into anywhere from US $100,000 to $200,000 per year, which is money that could be put to good use in the IT department or elsewhere in the company.

If you think your product is great then you don't plan bribes to get people to use it.