Bing may have made great strides in many parts of the world but in China there is still quite some way to go. This is perhaps not entirely surprising given the strict controls the Chinese government has over online activity, but Microsoft is looking to make the search engine a success in the country. The company has drafted in more employees and is looking to improve the Bing algorithms for the Chinese market.
Microsoft vice president Ya-Qin Zhang said: “We are putting more people to support the Chinese market.” He added: “We hope in the next year or two, our efforts will earn us more success in the market.”
The company has already boosted employee numbers in research customer support and enterprise services, and it is hoped that a more localized version of the search tool will lead to great success.
While Bing may have some way to go, Microsoft is certainly no stranger to China, having previously helped to develop software used by the government to manage city systems and resources. With the acquisition of Nokia’s handset division, Microsoft has more reason than ever to try to expand into different markets, and Bing could act as the lever that cracks open the door.
